Some Say Love Is Blind
by ShinoCoolGaaraAwesome
Summary: Kira's past is one you would only think to find in nightmares. Her kekkei genkai was both a blessing and a curse. Born blind, her kekkei genkai allows her to "see". It's also the reason for all the pain in her life. Can she overcome the shadows of her past, or will she give in to her fears. Deidara/OC, Gaara/OC.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Some say love is blind, but I think real love can see better than anyone or anything else. It sees through false images and attempted deceit. It looks past flaws and sees the aspects most adored. Love is something that all desire, and most never get to find. My name is Sakurai Kira, and this is my story on love, and how it both finds and evades us in sometimes the cruelest of manners.

**Character Bio**

**Name:** Sakurai Kira

**Age:** 18

**Appearance:** Blue-black straight hair that reaches mid back, eyes that look like a Hyuuga's only a shade darker, very pale skin, faint scars that crisscross whole body (hard to see unless one is looking for them), long sleeved navy blue shirt, long black pants (both somewhat loose), black shoes.

**Background:** Momentarily unknown; Blind at birth

**Abilities:** Kekkei genkai— Chakra-less water control. The ability to control water with her mind without the use of chakra. She uses this ability to "see" her surroundings. Every living thing has some form of water running through it, plus the air holds trace amounts of water vapor. Using her kekkei genkai to sense her surroundings allows her to perceive shapes, distance, and features. For those objects with no water running through it, she is able to sense the absence of water vapor in the air as a "blank space." She knows that if there is a blank space in her senses, then there is a solid object there. (ex. If a person holds a kunai, she senses the person and notices a blank spot in the shape of the kunai)

Along with her kekkei genkai, she is able to heal herself with the water. This uses chakra.


	2. Chapter 1: Found

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 1: Found**

Kira lay there absolutely still. No movements, no indications that she had woken up. Eyes closed, breathing even. Though, having her eyes closed didn't stop her from being able to "see" them.

She had just woken up, and the moment her mind touched consciousness, her kekkei genkai alerted her to her surroundings. Of course, for the past year her surrounding had consisted of nothing more than grass, flowers, and trees. Perhaps the occasional insect or animal scurrying about. Today was different though. Today there were three very clear water signals that were very close to her. Two men and one dog.

As she feigned sleep, she studied each water signature. The dog was the easiest to study. Nothing to really be scared of there. Only the fact that it was the biggest dog she had ever encountered. The two men with it, on the other hand, were terrifying. Not because of anything they did or how they acted. None of that mattered. Just the fact that they were _male_ was enough to send shivers down Kira's spine.

She could tell one male was the owner of the dog. He himself seemed part animal with his longer canines and wild hair. Not to mention he kept one hand on the dog the whole time. His companion seemed to be a more subdued type of wild. Very calm exterior. What scared Kira the most about him, other than being male, was the fact he had a swarm of insects _inside_ him, crawling just beneath the surface of his skin. Each male seemed to wear a mask and a headband. Slowly directing the water in the air, Kira moved it into the ridges of the headband to make out the hidden village. Konoha.

Kira took all this in in a matter of seconds. The same amount of time it took the two ninja to realize that the woman they had found wasn't one of their comrades. The Dog-man walked over and crouched down next to her. As he reached his hand out to shake her awake, she stiffened. His hand stopped and retreated.

"Get up slowly and we won't harm you," he said calmly. Hesitating slightly, she sat up and turned towards him. "Open your eyes." Slowly, Kira did as he asked, shaking ever so slightly. She heard a small intake of breath and briefly wondered what she did wrong.

"Are you a Hyuuga?" asked the Dog-man. Confused and still scared, she said nothing. She looked to the ground, hoping and praying that they would just leave. "Well if you're not a Hyuuga, maybe you know something about the reports we've been getting. There have been a group of suspicious people spotted in this area." Kira continues to look at the ground. "What's your name?" Kira turns her head away from him, making his short temper begin to flare. "Where are you from?" he questions a bit louder. Kira stays silent, face is void of emotion, which is more then she can say for the panic building in her mind. The Dog-man starts bristling and shouts "Dang it, answer me!" He hits the tree near her for emphasis, making some of its bark chip off and fall around her. She still doesn't make a sound, only wincing slightly.

"Kiba, we should take her to the Hokage. Why? Because this woman won't speak to us and the Hokage may be able to get information out of her," says the Bug-man softly.

The Dog-man, now known to be Kiba, scoffs and reaches toward her again. Kira braces for impact and is surprised when all he does is pull her to her feet by her arm.

"Like Shino just said, you'll be coming with us to Konoha and will be questioned by the Hokage."

Kira gives a slight nod. She noticeably starts to shake, but makes no move to try to escape. She then senses another figure coming towards them at very high speeds. She glances over to where the figure is and internally sighs in relief when she finds that this new ninja is female. A moment later, the two male shinobi look to the same place as the female leaps into the clearing.

She glances around the small clearing, instantly spotting her comrades among the brush. One holding a young woman's arm. The shinobi had to do a double take. Looking closely, this girl could easily be mistaken for one of her relatives. Long blue-black hair flowing down to her mid back, pale skin, smaller build. But what stood out the most were her eyes. They were a light lilac, pupil-less pair of eyes, so very much like her own it was uncanny.

"Who's that?" the ninja asks her comrades in a shy voice. "Don't know," says Kiba, "We just found her here and she won't talk. We're taking her to see Tsunade." The new girl nods her head and moves to take Kira out of Kiba's grip. Kira relaxes almost immediately once his hand is removed from her arm, though she still remains on alert.

"I'm Hinata, can you tell us your name?" As she asks, Hinata places binds on Kira's wrists behind her back. Kira remains silent. What could she say really? If she told who she was, where she was from, they might send her back. If that happens, she would be dead. They already thought she was dead. No matter what these people did, she could handle it as long as she never had to return.

They all walked at a fairly slow pace through the forest, apparently no more than a day and a half journey from the hidden village. Shino took the lead, Hinata led Kira in the middle, and Kiba and his dog took the rear. They walked for hours, stopping every so often to let Kira rest or to get some food or water. As the sun started to set, Shino stopped.

"We should make camp now. Why? Because it will be harder to travel with a civilian at night."

At that, Shino, Kiba and Hinata moved to set up camp. Kiba's dog guarded Kira. After only a few minutes a fire had been started and sleeping mats had been rolled out. Kira sat by Hinata on a fallen log near the fire. It was a fairly cool night. The perfect night to sit by the fire in most cases. The only problem for Kira was that the closer she got to the fire, the less she could "see" since the heat sucked away most of the moisture in the air.

Finally being able to rest felt wonderful though. Kira spread her senses as far as they could go. She could feel every movement of every leaf rustling in the soft breeze and the steady flow of the nearby river where they had gotten their supper. She found animals curling up for the night, and an owl stretching its wings, ready for flight. She was almost able to forget about being a captive at that moment. Almost. It really was hard to forget that the thing you fear the most was no more than three feet away from you, armed with a holster full of sharp objects.

After conversing for a few minutes with Hinata, Shino stated that he and Kiba were going to go check the perimeter. Kiba nodded and called to his dog, Akamaru and they left. Once they were gone, Hinata untied Kira's hands and tried again to get some basic information out of her.

Kira slightly inclined her head towards Hinata. She hadn't really taken the time to study her yet. From what she could sense, the female ninja had a very small build, yet a well-developed figure. Long hair, big eyes, baggy clothes, and thankfully, Kira thought, no bugs crawling under her skin.

Then a thought crossed her mind. A thought that she probably should have had a while ago but was too frightened to consider it. _What if she's just like me?_ Kira faced Hinata fully and took her hands causing Hinata to cut off midway through her sentence.

She looked at Kira and saw a serious expression on her face. Really the only sign of emotion that she had seen on her face since she met her. From the start, other than shaking, this girl gave no indication that she felt anything at all.

Kira shifted slightly and pursed her lips, seeming like she was debating whether or not to say something. Then, slowly, her lips parted and Hinata heard her speak for the first time. An airy, voice that seemed to have not been used in a long time. She said one word. Full of determination and haste.

"Run."

**So there's the first chapter to my first fanfic. I'll try to get the next one up soon. Please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 2: Attack

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 2: Attack**

Hinata blinked. "What?"

"Run. You can leave now, I'll distract them. I've had a year of freedom, I can handle being taken again. It's your chance to get away. You'll love it. No more living in fear every moment, no more waiting for the next violent rampage. They won't be able to hurt you again if you just go now."

"What are you talking about? Who's hurting me?" Hinata asks, confused at the random outburst.

"Those two with us, if you run, you'll be free from them."

Hinata hesitates a moment, trying to think of how to respond. "Please, tell me your name."

"…It's Kira. Sakurai Kira. If anyone asks, you've never heard of me."

Hinata slowly nods her head, "And why do you think that Kiba and Shino are hurting me?"

"They're male! You're female! Of course they're hurting you! Women_ mean_ nothing and _are_ nothing except tools for the men to use as they please. You should know that. You're wasting time. Escape, now!"

Hinata pulled her hands from Kira's ever hardening grip and placed them on her shoulders. "Kira, I don't know how you got that image of men and women, but that isn't true. Shino is quiet and gentle. Kiba is usually loud but kind. They would never hurt me on purpose. They respect me as a shinobi and as their teammate."

Kira's eyes widened momentarily. _Could it be true? Is it even possible?_ Kira was instantly silent. Hinata tried to get her to speak again, but it was useless. One, because Kira was in shock with this new information. And two, she could sense the others approaching.

A minute later, Shino and Kiba entered the camp. Hinata glanced at Kira, who was still deep in the recesses of her own mind, and got up. She went over to her teammates to relay her conversation.

As she approached, she heard Kiba. "So why did Akamaru and I need to go with you for the perimeter check anyway? You could handle it on your own bug-boy."

Instead of responding, Shino turned to look at Hinata. "Any luck?" She nodded.

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Any luck? Any luck with what? What are you talking about?"

"Her name is Sakurai Kira." Kiba looked to Hinata, "So you actually got her to talk? What did she say?"

Hinata shifted her weight to her other foot and brought her hands up to press her pointer fingers together in an old habit. "She thought that I was your slave and told me to escape. Her perception on male and female roles seems to be fairly extreme."

"Wait. She thought you were a slave? That's insane!"

Hinata nods slightly, "She thought you two were hurting me."

Shino raised eyebrow and Kiba scoffed. "As if we'd ever be able to hurt you! You end up beating us half the time whenever we spar anyway." Hinata blushed and looked back toward Kira. She had fallen asleep a little ways away from the fire.

"Anyway, I'm a bit wound up. Akamaru and I'll take the first shift. I'll wake you in a few hours alright bug-boy?"

Shino merely nods his head, use to the name, and goes to his bedroll. Hinata says goodnight and does the same.

….

The first thing Kira noticed when she awoke was that the previous day had not been a dream. Or rather, nightmare being the more accurate description. She had been found. Maybe not by the ones that thought her dead, but still, they were male. At least most of them. The hand on her shoulder came from the one non-male in the group, much to Kira's relief.

The second thing she noticed was that the guys weren't as close to her as they were yesterday. Again, much to her relief.

Hinata helped her to stand and retied the binds on her wrists behind her back. Leaning forward she whispered that Shino didn't wish to frighten her more than necessary, hence the further distance. Kira merely nodded and started walking through the underbrush with the shinobi. If all went well, they would reach Konoha before supper.

Hinata started to tell Kira a little about herself. About the Hyuuga main and side branches, about her cousin Neji and how close they've gotten over the years, how she use to stutter over every sentence, especially when some boy named Naruto was around. Kira would just nod every so often, slightly distracted.

"So Kira, what's your family like?" Hinata asks innocently.

Kira freezes in place and the others stop to look at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk about-"

"You all need to do a substitution jutsu, now." Kira interrupted quietly yet firmly.

Each shinobi made a single hand sign. A moment later, a barrage of kunai showered down on them from the tree tops. Kira ducked and weaved as best as she could with what little mobility she possessed with her hands tied. A few of the knives scraped by her arms and legs, though she received no more than a scratch from them. She heard the distinct sound of metal hitting flesh, then three consecutive pops as the intended targets turned to logs.

Kira had noticed that there were people following them for a while now. Five to be exact. Four male, one female. Kira didn't fully know why she warned her current captors. Maybe it was the fact that they didn't seem all that bad yet and she didn't know what would happen if these new people would be any worse. Or maybe it had something to do with what Hinata had said the night before. _"They would never hurt me on purpose. They respect me as a shinobi and as their teammate."_ In any case, she had warned them and now she needed to somehow get out of this current situation.

The current situation including the shinobi that just emerged from the surrounding foliage.

Kira's eye widened a fraction when one threw a sebon in her direction, then widened even further when it was blocked by Kiba. "Iwa missing-nin. Of course," he growled. Hinata had jumped into the fray. Kiba and Hinata where fighting in close combat, while Shino was at a distance directing the kikaichu.

Kiba and Akamaru teamed up and took down the sebon thrower while Shino's bugs surrounded and terminated another. Hinata was struggling with her current opponent, a man easily twice her size with a sword just as large. Kira couldn't focus on her for too long, thanks to the female Iwa nin slashing at her. She barely felt the blade of the kunai rip across her arm, tearing the muscle open. A moment later, Kira heard a cry of pain and focused most her senses on Hinata, now on the ground. Kiba snarled and hurled himself at the man while Akamaru longed to take the sword out of his hand. Within seconds, the large man was on the ground with a broken neck.

Kira once again focused fully on the woman attacking her, only to trip on an upturned root of a nearby tree. She steeled herself for the attack she knew was coming. She held her breath and waited. And waited. Only to notice that the woman was covered in insects and Shino was in front of her bleeding from just above his collarbone. He had apparently taken out his own opponent and had come to her aid. But why? Why save her? She was just a female!

The female Iwa missing-nin gave one last strangled cry before she collapsed, Shino soon after. Kiba came racing over, panicked at the thought of losing both his teammates. Kira looked in his direction and said simply, "Untie me."

Kiba's head jerked in her direction. He had obviously forgotten that she had been there. Now he gave her a suspicious look. "Why?"

"Because, I can save them."

**And there's chapter 2! Two chapters in one week…I feel somewhat accomplished! :D I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!**

**Iwa- Hidden Stone Village**

**Kikaichu- Destruction Bugs (the ones inside Shino)**

**Please read and review!**


	4. Chapter 3: Healing and Help

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 3: Healing and Help**

Kiba paused a moment, giving her a wary glance. "What do you mean you can save them? You barely have any chakra, and it's obvious that you aren't trained to use it."

Kira inclined her head in Hinata's direction. "She's losing a lot of blood from a stomach wound," she tilted her head towards Shino, "and he's losing his even faster from that neck wound. If you don't untie me now, they'll die anyway," she remarked, her face completely blank of emotion.

Kiba hesitated, debating with himself over whether or not to trust this woman who was essentially their hostage, or to risk the trip back, with Akamaru and him carrying Hinata and Shino without any way to staunch the blood flow.

Akamaru growled lightly to convey frustration and plodded over to Kira quickly. Going behind her, he easily chewed off her bindings. Kiba glared at his supposedly loyal partner, "What'd you do that for? We don't even know this girl!"

"Animals seem to know better than humans when one is a threat with less than trustworthy intentions and when one is speaking the truth," Kira remarked as she crawled over to where Shino was laying a few feet from her, "Now hurry and bring Hinata-san over here by Shino-sama. I'm going to start," she sat on her knees near Shino's head and gently placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Start what?" asked Kiba, tentative of taking orders from this unknown woman.

"Do you want to ask questions or save their lives?" she asked monotonously, inclining her head toward him, "If it's the first, then go right ahead and ask, otherwise bring Hinata-san over and stop distracting me." Kiba, at a loss for words, turned and went to get Hinata from the far side of the field where her blood was already starting to form a pool around her still form.

Kira turned her attention to the insect user, ignoring the part of her that told her she would be beaten within an inch of her life again for speaking so rudely against a man.

Her eyes already closed, she focused her kekkei genkai on the intricate blood flow in the unconscious man's body. As she had thought, he had taken a kunai to the space just above his collarbone. He had already lost quite a bit of blood. Slowly, Kira started directing his blood around the gash. It began to flow through the broken veins, making the blood pass through the air to get from one half of the cut vein to the other half; stopping him from bleeding out. Looking at it from the outside, it would almost seem like there was a glass tube connecting the severed sections. After a moment, the task of bridging the blood vessels from one side to the other became like a habit, repetitive enough that Kira didn't need to concentrate as hard to complete it.

Splitting her awareness, she noticed that Kiba had returned and had lain Hinata near her. Kira placed her other hand on her and began assessing her condition.

While her injury was in a less fatal spot compared to her teammate, Hinata had lost far more blood because of the delay of treatment. Quickly sending her senses into Hinata's body, Kira pinpointed the damaged area. Going through the same process as she had with Shino, Kira was able to make a bridge for the blood to pass through with her kekkei genkai.

Once Kira had gotten use to keeping both blood flows regulated, she once again split her consciousness. Half to keeping the process going, the other half to the dog-nin fidgeting in front of her.

Kira spoke quietly, somewhat detached. "You need to go for help."

Kiba's head jerked up from where he had been glaring at the ground, his temper rising faster, thanks to his teammates' current state, "I thought you said you could save them!" he practically growled.

"I am saving them, but I can't heal them both at the same time," came Kira's whispered voice, "If I were to heal, I would need water and both of my hands. Doing that would only save one. The other would bleed out. Do you want to make that choice?" There was no implication or malice in her voice. No emotion at all, really. Kiba reeled in his temper enough to take a deep breath. Exhaling, he looked at her again. "I still don't trust you. If I leave to get help, you could escape and my friends' lives would end."

Kira flinched a bit at the plural usage of 'friends'. She mentally shook it off. "If you don't go, they will only be safe until I collapse from exhaustion. The moment my mind leaves consciousness, the blood will start to leave their bodies again." Kiba hesitated once more. Kira sighed, "Leave Akamaru to guard us then. If you were to send him and stay yourself, I don't think he would be able to get anyone to fully understand him, no matter how smart he is."

It was Kiba's turn to sigh. He scratched the back of his head and nodded absently, "Fine. Akamaru," the white dog's head perked up, "you stay here and keep an eye on things. I'm going to the village to bring back some medics." The large animal nodded its head and moved to lie near Kira and the two unconscious shinobi.

Reluctantly, Kiba took one last glance at his team, then shot off into the trees toward Konoha.

Relaxing slightly, Kira tilted her head back in Akamaru's direction. "Keep an eye out for any danger, I'm going to be concentrating on them for now. And let me know if you sense anyone approaching so I'm not startled." Again, the dog nodded its head in understanding. Kira turned her full attention to the shinobi at her knees and fell into a sort of trance.

**…**

Sweat started to drip down Kira's face and body. She had been sitting in that clearing for two hours, surrounded by the smell of blood and the dead enemy shinobi. The only comfort for her was the constant noises of the forest. The sound of cicadas chirping and bird singing somewhat distracted her from what her nose was smelling, as did the presence of the large nin-dog. Every so often he would whimper in worry or gently lick the hands of the two comatose ninja.

Neither had yet regained consciousness, though that was sure to be a blessing, for both them and Kira. They would be in a lot of pain if they were to awaken now, and it would be harder for Kira to concentrate on keeping the blood flow right with them moving around or talking.

Akamaru's head lifted from his paws again, but instead of going to lick one of the nearby hands, he looked up to the spot where Kiba had disappeared through the trees a couple hours earlier. He rose to his feet and slowly wagged his tail in welcome. It was enough warning for Kira to know that people were coming and that they were friendly; at least friendly to this team of Konoha shinobi.

Allowing half of her consciousness to split off again, she found three water sources, easily identified as humans, coming towards them. One was Kiba, the other two where female. She could tell one had short hair and a somewhat larger forehead while the other had longer hair tied into a high ponytail and a rather full figure.

The moment they jumped into the clearing, Kiba let out a relieved sigh, seeing everything in the same condition as when he left. He had been so sure that somehow the girl would have disappeared or his teammates would have been dead. Seeing all three in the clearing, all breathing, was an instant relief.

He watched as the two medics raced over to his friends. The short, pink haired medic spoke to Kira in a professional manner, asking which one was in worse condition. Kira replied that Shino was hit in a more fatal area, but Hinata had lost more blood. Kiba stood back a ways and let Sakura and Ino take over. Kira remained in between the two with her hands on either patient. Sakura went to tend Shino, while Ino took Hinata.

Half an hour passed. During that time, the medics were able to close the severed arteries and veins, allowing Kira to release her hold on them. She removed her hands and went to stand back a bit, giving the medics room to work. Kiba came over to replace the binds on her hands. "Just because you didn't run doesn't mean I can trust you yet." Kira merely nodded her head and sat a few feet away from the dog-nin. Kiba rolled his eyes, _Back to the silent treatment I guess._

After another fifteen minutes, Sakura and Ino look up and state that it was now safe to move them back to Konoha, where they would go to the hospital to heal more and recover. Kiba nodded and placed Shino on Akamaru's back. He then went over and gently picked up Hinata.

"I'm going to hurry them back then. Don't wanna waste any time going at a normal pace," Kiba said to the medics, "Would you mind taking her back with you?" He gestured over to Kira, still sitting a bit a ways from them.

"No problem," stated Sakura. Kiba nodded, then he and Akamaru raced off once more to Konoha.

Sakura walked over to Kira and helped her to stand. Once on her feet, they all started to head for the village. "Once we get to the village, we'll take you to the hospital to get checked out, too. You have a few minor abrasions along your skin, and whatever jutsu you did back there had to take a bit out of you. You can recover a bit, then go to see the Hokage. There are some questions you need to answer." Kira remained silent and again started to tremble slightly. _They said I was to see the Hokage. I wonder what kind of man he is._

**There's chapter three! Any comments, questions, or remarks are appreciated! Except for flames, I would prefer no flames ^_^ I'll try to get another chapter out soon. Please read and review!**


	5. Chapter 4: In Konoha

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 4: In Konoha**

_**(Tsunade's POV)**_

Tsunade's eye twitched slightly as she glared at her assistant. Shizune had just walked into the room, carrying what had to be the foulest thing on the face of the planet. Paperwork. MORE paperwork. As if there wasn't already a mountain of it sitting on her desk, practically mocking her, telling her that the moment she made a dent in it, it would double. So far, her plan of ignoring it so that it would shrink wasn't panning out so well.

And not only had Shizune come in with more of the blasted stuff, but she had taken away one of the few things that placated her. Really! She was the Hokage for crying out loud! One of the legendary Sanin! If she wanted a bit of sake then she should be allowed to have some.

Her glare intensified slightly and her assistant sighed, "Lady Tsunade, you have to sign this paperwork. And if I give you back the sake, the papers will be ignored, you know that."

Huffing, the blonde woman turned her glare on the piles of paper, hoping they would somehow vanish if she stared long enough.

"You need to do something," Shizune tried to reason, "at least do a little of it before Kiba and his team come back."

Tsunade finally gave up her glaring and sighed, knowing that Shizune was right. She grabbed a letter of the top of the closest stack and began scanning the contents. Shizune nodded in satisfaction and left to go attend some duties at the hospital. The moment the door closed behind her, Tsunade tossed the paper back onto her cluttered desk. She folded her hands and rested her chin on top of them, deep in thought. Kiba should be returning soon with his team. And that one girl. Tsunade was very interested in her after hearing what Kiba had to say.

**…**

_Kiba burst into the office out of breath, trying in vain to catch it long enough to say something, "Team…ambushed…bleeding…need…medics." He managed between breaths._

_Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "Kiba, catch your breath and tell me exactly what happened."_

"_No time, they need help, I need medics!" he practically growled in his impatience._

_Tsunade nodded, "Alright, make a clone. It can report to me while you go back to your team. Take Sakura and Ino. They're at the hospital right now."_

_Kiba rapidly made the correct hand signs. The moment the poof of his clone was heard, the real one was running out the door toward the hospital. The clone stared after the real one for a moment before turning to the Hokage, bowing slightly in apology for the hasty retreat._

_Tsunade motioned toward the chair in front of her desk, and Kiba took it. "So, tell me exactly what happened. What do you mean you were ambushed? Where's Akamaru?"_

_Kiba took a deep breath and went into detail about the past few days. Everything from scouting the area of the forests the reports were coming from, to the mysterious girl found in the woods that he and Shino had at first mistaken as a Hyuuga, to her reluctance to speak or show any emotion whatsoever, and finally, the Iwa missing-nin attacking._

"_And how exactly was you team of trackers unable to sense or subdue these ninja? Why were you so badly beaten and how?" Tsunade questioned._

"_These shinobi were similar to Lee. They had very minimal chakra that they suppressed and they came downwind so Akamaru and my noses couldn't detect them. I'm not sure how that Kira girl noticed them," Kiba paused a moment, "As for how we were defeated, they were a group of Jounin and ANBU ranked tai-jutsu and weaponry specialists. The leader use to be an Iwa ANBU captain and has been in the BINGO books for the last few months. He's the one that took out Hinata. As for Shino, he got hit while going to the aid of our hostage."_

"_And where exactly is your hostage?" Tsunade asked._

"_Back with my team. I'm not sure what exactly she's doing, but whatever it is, it's stopping them from bleeding out."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She just touched their shoulders and concentrated for a few minutes. It looked like the blood was floating through the air, like there was no damage to the veins, they were just clear or something. I don't know, I'm no medic."_

_Tsunade nodded, "Strange jutsu indeed. I haven't even heard of something like that."_

"_The weirdest thing was that she didn't seem to be using chakra. At least none that I could detect."_

_The Hokage's eyes widened momentarily. Now _that _was definitely unusual._

"_Thank you Kiba, once your team is safe and everyone is recovered, let Sakura know that I want that girl to get a medical exam, then come see me as soon as possible. I have a few questions for her."_

"_Yes, Hokage-sama," Kiba said. He did a hand seal, and the clone disappeared, leaving Tsunade alone to her thoughts._

**…**

Tsunade sighed, lifting her head off her hands she gazed out the window. _They should have gotten back by now, _Tsunade thought. Glancing at the non-shrinking pile of documents, she sighed again. _Guess I'll do some of this accursed work while I wait._

She picked up the recently discarded paper on her desk. Before she was able to even read the first word, a polite knock was heard on her door. After calling out 'Enter,' Sakura opened the door with three files in her hands.

"Ah, Sakura, perfect timing," said Tsunade, motioning for her apprentice to have a seat.

"Meaning you were almost about to do some work before I got here," smirked the pink haired medic knowingly.

Coughing slightly, Tsunade gestured to the files, "I take it that those are the medical files for Team 8?"

Sakura nodded, handing them over, "Hinata and Shino are stabilized and will make a full recovery. Kiba and Akamaru both only had a few scratches and didn't need any treatment."

"Then the third file is on the hostage?" "Hai, her name is Sakurai Kira, age eighteen. Other than that, I couldn't get her to answer any other questions."

"I'll take care of that soon," Tsunade said absently as she looked through Kira's file. Coming to part of the report, she raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," looking up at Sakura she asked, "is she here or still at the hospital?"

"She's waiting outside with Shizune."

"Send them in."

Sakura went to comply. A moment later a small girl with blue-black hair was ushered in, her eyes closed. Shizune followed close behind.

"Shizune, undo her bindings," the Hokage continued looking over the slight girl as her assistant complied with the order. "Your name is Kira, correct?" inquired Tsunade. The girl nodded her head slightly. "Can you speak?" The younger girl raised her head slightly, "Yes, I can speak."

"Do you know why you're here?" Kira tilted her head to the side slightly, "I'm waiting to meet with the Hokage. When am I to see him?" Tsunade smirked slightly, "Right now. I'm the fourth Hokage, Tsunade. And I have some questions for you." Tsunade took notice of the confused surprise that briefly crossed the young girl's face before it went back into its emotionless mask.

"This surprises you?"

Kira merely nodded her head. "Why?" asked the Hokage, curious. "You are female," the girl stated with a shrug, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. About to question her further, Tsunade was stopped by a knock.

"I'm in a meeting, come back later," she informed the person on the other side of the door. Instead of walking away though, whoever it was just knocked again. Slightly exasperated, Tsunade shouted, "What!" The door opened to reveal Kiba. Sighing, she waved him in.

"I heard that you got the report back on my team's condition. I wanted to make sure they were ok. Those stupid doctors won't tell me anything," he huffed.

"Those 'stupid doctors' are just doing their job," stated a slightly irritated Sakura, still sitting near Tsunade's desk, "and yes, they're doing just fine." Kiba smirked a bit, "Come on, you know I wasn't talking about you, don't get so offended."

Tsunade cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Kiba, while I understand your concern for your team, you shouldn't have interrupted us." Kiba looked around and spotted Kira. "Oh, hey, mystery forest girl!" Kira shrunk back slightly from him, but showed no other indication of felling uncomfortable. "Kira," the Hokage said, trying to get her attention. Once the girl turned her focus back to her, Tsunade noticed something, "Open your eyes and look at me when I'm addressing you." Slowly, the girl opened her eyes.

"Are you a Hyuuga?" Tsunade asked after getting a look at her eyes. They were pupil-less and lavender, and looked exactly like Hinata's eyes. "Hey! That's what I asked when I saw her too!" Kiba stated. Tsunade gave him a look and he was instantly silent. The girl shook her head.

"She's blind," Sakura spoke up, "It's in the file Tsunade-shisho. You never finished reading it."

Tsunade looked down at the file in her hands, "So it is."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me that she's blind?" Kiba exclaimed, "There's no way! She hardly had any trouble at all walking in the forest or finding stuff. Not to mention she was able to sense those shinobi _and_ dodge most of their attacks!"

Tsunade looked over to the girl again, "Yes, I'm quite curious about this myself. How _did_ you manage all that? And what sort of jutsu did you perform on Hinata and Shino? I've never come across anything like that. Kiba said he didn't sense you using chakra."

Kira shifted slightly to her other foot, and mumbled something. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that." She sighed and repeated a bit louder, "I do not wish to answer either question."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "And why not?" she asked. It was silent for a while and the Sanin was starting to get irritated. "Why will you not answer the question?" Still more silence. "Very well, if you don't wish to tell me the information, I'll have to get it another way," Tsunade turned to her assistant, "Shizune, take Kira into the interrogation chamber and get Inoichi. I'll be down there in a moment." Shizune bowed and took Kira by the arm, leading her away.

After the door closed, Sakura turned to her Shisho once more. "Hinata had regained consciousness before I came here. She requested that if simply questioning Kira had to become an official interrogation, then she would like for you to see her before you proceed." Tsunade only nodded and stood to go to the hospital, "Kiba, you can come with me to see your teammates. Sakura, you're free to go." Both shinobi complied with their given orders and left the office.

As Tsunade walked to the hospital, she had a feeling that this was going to be a very long day.

**All done with yet another chapter! With the way my outline is going, I must say, I think this is going to be one long fanfic…Anyway! I'll get chapter 5 to you soon! **

**Shisho- Teacher**

**Once again, reviews are welcome and loved! So please, please, pleeeease read and review! **


	6. Chapter 5: Interrogation

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 5: Interrogation**

_**(Tsunade's POV)**_

Upon entering the room, Tsunade saw the injured Hyuuga heiress attempt to sit up in respect for the older woman. Waving her hand dismissively, the Hokage was quick to reprimand the girl for trying to move in her state. With a slight blush, Hinata went back to lying against her pillows.

"So what did you wish to speak to me about?" Tsunade asked, getting right to the point.

Hinata's face instantly serious, she asked, "So you will have to interrogate her then?" After getting a confirming nod, she continued, "I don't believe that she is an enemy shinobi Hokage-sama, and with all due respect, I don't think you should be treating her as such. She seems quite frail, though stubborn, and she appears to have had great trauma in her past, considering her apparent outlook on life."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Tsunade, not quite sure what to make of the kunoichi's statements.

"While we were on our way back to Konoha, before the attack, she stayed completely silent. The moment she was alone with me, though, she was telling me to escape. She assumed that the since I was female that Kiba and Shino were…"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "She thought you were a prisoner too?"

Hinata nodded, "She thought they were hurting me. She seems terrified of men in general. Even with her concealing her emotions on her face and in her voice, she'll stiffen or shake subtly if one comes near her."

Tsunade was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. _That may explain some of those things in her medical file._ She looked back to the Hyuuga. "So what is it you want me to do exactly?"

"Whenever you have someone interrogate her, could you be in the room? I'm sure having a female in a powerful position would help her stay a bit calmer and more likely to open up then if you leave her alone with a man."

Tsunade nodded, "I had already planned on being there, along with Inoichi."

A look of relief passed over the girl's face, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smiled softly, "You may not want to thank me yet. I brought that loudmouthed mutt of a teammate to come visit you."

Not a moment later, Kiba burst into the room, having just come from seeing Shino. Tsunade turned to go, leaving the friends to talk. It was time to see what the mystery behind Sakurai Kira really was.

**…**

_**(Kira's POV)**_

All Kira knew was that she was being taken for more questioning. The Hokage's assistant led her down quite a few passages before she opened a door to a cold room, several stories below ground.

Guided to a chair, Kira sat obediently with her hand folded on the table in front of her and waited. What for, she wasn't entirely sure. Just that it involved questions, the Hokage, and someone named Inoichi. And Kira had a sinking feeling that the later name belonged to a man.

A few minutes of silence passed before her suspicions were confirmed. A squeak resonated from the old door, signaling the entry of the figure Kira had long since sensed coming towards them. A well-built man with a square jaw, high cheekbones, and long hair pulled into a pony tail came into the room.

Shizune looked up from whatever papers she had been reading at the table and acknowledged him, "Ah, Inoichi-san, Lady Tsunade will be back shortly. She had some business at the hospital first."

The man looked around the damp, stone room, then back to Shizune. "And why did the Hokage need my services?"

Shizune motioned toward Kira, "We'll be questioning this girl. If she continues to refuse to speak, then we'll need your jutsu to get the information."

Inoichi raised an eyebrow, "But she's obviously a civilian. Her chakra network is closed off. As a medic you should know this better than I do. What did she do?"

"We're not completely certain," stated Shizune, "She seems to have strange occurrences happen around her. A blind girl that has no problems navigating foreign terrain, able to detect the presence of others, and use a jutsu that neither I nor Lady Tsunade have heard of before."

Seemingly surprised, Inoichi stared at the slight girl before him, "But her chakra network is practically untouched. She shouldn't be able to use any jutsu at all."

"Exactly."

Contemplating all this, it was quiet once more in the room that seemed to become almost stifling to Kira. The presence of the new shinobi was daunting and she hoped that the Hokage would finish up whatever it was she was doing and arrive.

Minutes passed, and Kira was growing more and more uneasy. It didn't appear like either shinobi in the room was affected by the growing tension that seemingly only Kira felt. Finally, on the edges of her awareness, she could feel the Hokage's presence, internally giving a sigh of relief. She was ready to get this over with.

**…**

_**(Tsunade's POV)**_

After calling Shizune and Inoichi out of the room, Tsunade turned to her assistant, "Anything?"

"Hai," Shizune nodded, "On our way down to the room and just after, there were no significant changes to her demeanor. I monitored her vitals. Her heart rate and breathing showed no fluctuations. A minute or two before Inoichi-san came into the room, her heart started to speed up. The moment he stepped into the room, so did her breathing."

"Wait, a few minutes _before_ he got to the room?" Tsunade turned to Inoichi, "Didn't you conceal your chakra? It's standard procedure to do so when entering the interrogation chambers!"

"I wasn't able to detect his chakra, Lady Tsunade," Shizune interrupted, "And she had a reversed reaction a few moments before you arrived, her breathing went back to normal. Other than those signs, there were no outward changes. She had a blank expression the whole time."

The Hokage nodded slowly and turned to Inoichi, "One of my shinobi believes that this girl had a traumatizing experience with men. I don't want to have to use your mind jutsu unless it's as a last resort."

"Then why am I here?" asked Inoichi.

"I had a feeling that this might have been the case before it was confirmed. I want you to try to make a connection with her."

Inoichi raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama, but why me?"

Tsunade smirked, "Because your daughter is about the same age. You are one of the few of my shinobi that work and talk with a teenage girl on a personal level on a daily basis. Can you imagine me asking someone like Ibiki to do this delicate task?"

The male shinobi chuckled lightly, "Very true, that would be a near impossibility," He glanced to the door a few feet away, "so what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Talk with her, try to get her to open up. Talk about your family and things you like to do with them, or your hobbies. The more you get her to talk, the better."

He nodded, "Any specific information you need?"

"Her background, why she was in the woods outside Konoha, and how she is able to do various jutsu without the use of her chakra network. I will be in the back of the room so she won't panic, but you will be doing all the talking. Her name is Sakurai Kira."

"Understood Hokage-sama."

"Very well. Shizune, you can watch behind the glass. Let's go Inoichi."

"Hai!"

Tsunade pulled the door open and allowed Inoichi inside. She walked to the back of the room and folded her arms, leaning her back against the wall. He went over to the table and sat in the chair opposite of the girl.

"Hi Kira, my name's Inoichi. I'm going to talk with you for a bit, ok?"

**…**

_**(Kira's POV)**_

Kira numbly nodded her head. Why couldn't she be talking with Tsunade now? Why did it have to be him?

Kira focused her senses on the man in front of her. He seemed to give a light smile.

"You know, I have a daughter about your age."

Kira stiffened, a slight chill going down her spine.

"Her name's Ino, after me," he continued, "She's a medic and a great ninja. Inherited the clan's kekkei genkai, too." Kira's head snapped up and her eyes widened a fraction. Inoichi quirked an eyebrow, "Something wrong?"

She paused a moment then quietly inquired, "Kekkei genkai?"

He chuckled at this, "You say that like it's a taboo," He looked at her for a moment when she didn't answer, "Is it a taboo? Where you come from?"

Kira faintly nodded. Inoichi's brow furrowed slightly.

"And where would that be?" he asked. Kira turned her head away from him. She wouldn't be tricked. If he knew, then she may be killed. Or worse, she could be sent back.

Inoichi sighed, "That's fine, you don't have to tell me now. We can go back to what we were talking about before."

Kira didn't reply. She didn't want him telling her about his daughter or their kekkei genkai. She didn't want him talking to her period. But it seemed like, once again, she would have no choice.

"Our clan can basically transfer our minds into our opponent's heads and take over their bodies, or we can see the memories of those we touch. Ino's gotten fairly good at going into other's bodies, but she's still learning the basics of sifting through memories," he paused for a moment, "As to her hobbies, she really likes shopping. And flowers. Our family owns a floral shop in town and she'll be in there helping out whenever she doesn't have a mission or a training session. And boy, does she like to talk!" He smiled, "She is precious to me."

Kira was confused and slightly curious. _This village is so strange. First Shino-sama and Kiba-sama, now this man. They don't seem to treat women like I thought they would._

Lightly biting her lip, she knew she needed to know for sure. Turning back to the shinobi, she almost apologetically asked, "What do you do with her?"

He shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. She talks while I listen, or pretend to listen," he laughed again, "or I help her train to learn the clan's secret techniques. On special occasions, we'll go out to eat."

"You don't hurt her?" The question slipped out before Kira could think to stop herself.

"No, why do you ask? Did someone hurt you?"

Kira locked up again. She couldn't say anything. She just couldn't.

"You have a kekkei genkai don't you?" Inoichi gathered, "And someone hurt you because of it."

Kira's eyes widened again. She had given too much away. How could she have been that stupid? Now there was no way out.

Inoichi continued very calmly, "What kind of ability is it? If all goes well, you might be able to train here as a shinobi and put it to good use."

"You're not sending me back?" Kira asked in a disbelieving whisper, turning her senses to the shinobi in front of her once more.

Inoichi shook his head, "As long as you aren't affiliated with a different hidden village already or are wanted for a serious crime, we have no reason to send you back anywhere. Right Tsunade-sama?"

Kira inclined her head to the back of the room. She had almost forgotten that she was back there. The Hokage confirmed with a quick nod. A brief look of relief flashed across Kira's face. Catching the slight change in the girl, Inoichi inquired, "I thought you were blind."

Kira tilted her head to the side and nodded slightly.

"The Hokage never voiced her opinion on the matter, but you noticed her nod. How?"

Kira sighed, "I may be blind, but in some ways, I can see better then you."

Inoichi's brow wrinkled in confusion, "I don't follow."

"My kekkei genkai allows me to see in a way," she further explained.

"And just what is your kekkei genkai's ability?"

Kira shifted in her seat, still unsure if she should be saying anything. She sighed again. _It's too late for caution now._ "I can control water freely with my mind without the use of chakra."

Inoichi gaped and Tsunade straightened up. She walked over to stand near the table.

"No chakra? How is that possible?" she demanded.

Kira shrugged, "I don't know Hokage-sama, that's just how it is."

"What did you mean by 'seeing' with it?" Tsunade asked.

"All life has water in it and the air has minute traces of water in it. This allows me to sense my surroundings."

"And what does it look like?"

Kira's eyebrow creased in confusion, "How can the blind describe sight to those that can see?"

Tsunade sighed, "Very well then. You can tell us more about who you are, where you're from, and what you were doing in the woods."

Kira sighed again. She was talking more now then she had in years. _What could I possibly tell them? _She thought. In the back of her mind, a small voice came through with the answer.

_The truth._

**There we go! Sorry for the longer wait…writer's block :/ Thank you, Daytime Television, for your review! It was much appreciated! As always, everyone, please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 6: Report

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 6: Report**

_**(Tsunade's POV)**_

Tsunade sat at her desk in her office deep in thought. She couldn't believe that girl. Or young woman rather. Regardless of her apparent fragility, she was probably stronger than most of the shinobi present in this village. Just from the brief discussion that she had given of her life verbally was enough to make one's skin crawl.

Tsunade leaned back into her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. Now she was just waiting for Inoichi to get done with his report. And that surprised and impressed the Hokage even more. She never would have subjected that girl to his jutsu, yet she volunteered in place of saying even more out loud.

**…**

_**(Flashback)**_

_Tsunade sighed, "Very well then. You can tell us more about who you are, where you're from, and what you were doing in the woods."_

_The girl before them shifted in her seat, looking like she was internally debating with herself. After a moment, it seemed as if she had reached a decision. Her head raised slightly and she gave a nod of agreement._

"_Alright, I will tell you everything," came her soft voice, "but first may I make a request?"_

"_That depends on what you are requesting," answered Tsunade._

_Kira took a deep breath, "Would it be possible that, outside of you two and Shizune-san, no one will hear what I am to tell you?"_

"_As long as this information won't pose any danger to others, I don't see why anyone would need to know."_

_Another nod came from the girl. She took another steadying breath._

"_Is there anything specific you wish to know?"_

_Inoichi looked to the Hokage and stood, offering her his seat. She took it while he took her original spot on the back wall. Folding her hands on the table, Tsunade looked back to the girl._

"_There were a few things in your medical exam that I'm curious about. One of which would be the faint scars that are all over your body. How did they come to be there?"_

"_As Inoichi-sama guessed earlier, because of my kekkei genkai, I was beaten numerous times."_

_Tsunade nodded. She had thought as much._

"_This brings me to the second curious topic. How old are you again?"_

_Kira's brow wrinkled in confusion once more, "Eighteen. How is that a curious topic?"_

"_I'm wondering how a young girl of eighteen, that is apparently quite wary of men, could become pregnant," Tsunade stated as she assessed the girl's reaction. The immediate stiffening gave sign that this was a sensitive subject. "Where is the baby, Kira?"_

_Kira turned her head away. Tsunade gave her a moment to compose herself. A few minutes later, she turned back._

"_The babies' father and grandfather did not want them. I was forced into having an abortion."_

_Tsunade sucked in a breath and winced, then noticed something, "You said that the father and grandfather didn't want _them_. There was more than one child?"_

_The girl gritted her teeth then nodded, "Yes."_

_Tsunade didn't push the subject further. She never had a child, so she could never imagine having to go through the loss of one, even an unborn one._

_Tsunade was snapped out of her thoughts when the girl's voice broke through once more._

"_I have one more request, if I may Hokage-sama."_

_Tsunade gestured for her to continue._

"_Instead of having to tell you about my past, would it be possible for Inoichi-sama to use the memory jutsu he was talking about?"_

_Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? He'll have to touch you in order to do that."_

_The girl hesitated, then nodded in confirmation._

"_Fine. Inoichi," Tsunade turned to the shinobi, "the rest is up to you. Report to me in my office when you are finished."_

"_Hai, Hokage-sama."_

**…**

_**(End Flashback)**_

Tsunade looked out of the window. An interesting girl indeed.

She pulled out a bottle of sake that had been hidden from view in between the piles of evil papers that littered her desk. At least they were good for something. The Hokage figured that she could have a drink or two while she waited for the report.

Four hours passed when a knock awoke the slightly drunken woman. After getting her bearings and wiping the small trail of saliva off her cheek, she told the person on the other side of the door to enter.

Inoichi stepped into the room and bowed, "Hokage-sama, I have the report for you."

"What took so long, Inoichi? It's been over four hours since I left you in there."

"Forgive me ma'am, but it took me a while to decipher her memories."

Confusion written across Tsunade's face, she questioned, "What do you mean decipher her memories? Couldn't you just look at them like you normally would?"

"In most cases, yes. But her memories are like none I have ever seen. She sees the world in a completely different way then you or I do."

"Explain."

"She told you her kekkei genkai allows her to see. She wasn't too far off. Only her form of sight is a bit more intricate and harder to distinguish. The only colors that she sees are black and blue. Each person is a bright figure of blue, so are the plants, animals and rivers. The air itself is a dark navy color, thanks to the general humidity. Her range of sight is rather far as well. She can sense everything in about a half mile radius. If something doesn't have water in it, like a kunai, she'll see it as the color black, since the air around it will have a tinge of color to it."

"Very interesting. So other than her form of sight, did you have any problems?"

"No, Hokage-sama, she was very open with her memories and allowed me full access," Inoichi bit his lip slightly and looked away.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, confused by the sudden sadness in the shinobi's eyes.

He looked back to the Hokage, "It's all in the report," he said, handing her the file, "but let's just say that I'm surprised that she's even alive. She should have died on numerous occasions in her life. And even surviving that, I'm more surprised she didn't end her life herself."

Tsunade's eyebrows rose in shock, "That bad?"

Inoichi nodded, "But I must say, if she could endure all of that and keep living, she would make an excellent shinobi."

The Hokage opened the file and started looking over the contents, "I'll take that into consideration. Thank you, Inoichi. You may leave."

He bowed once more, then left the room, allowing her to be able to thoroughly go over Kira's file.

After another hour, the Hokage set it down and closed her eyes. _How in the world is she even able to be in the same room with another human being, I wonder._ She sighed deeply. The images from that file would probably haunt her sleep for the next few nights.

Tsunade opened her eyes a moment later and shook off the sudden heaviness in her soul. She called Shizune in and ordered her to retrieve Kira. She had one more thing to discuss with the girl.

Kira was escorted into the room a moment later, her head down as usual.

"Sakurai Kira, I've gone over everything Inoichi gave me. I only need to ask you one thing."

The girl nodded for her to go on. "Would you want to become a shinobi of our village? I would place you with a trustworthy team to train you."

Kira's head shot up and her eyes widened in astonishment. Not a second later, her mask of emotionlessness was back in place. She seemed to be considering the offer, then turned her head towards the older woman.

"You would allow me to stay?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I would. And you have my word that no one outside of Inoichi, Shizune, and myself will know of your past. But there is something that you must know before you accept this offer."

The girl cocked her head to the side. "The only person you have to take orders from is me and your team captain when you go on missions. No one else can force you to do something against your will. That includes striking you. If someone tries to hurt you, you have the right to defend yourself to the fullest. Do you understand?"

Kira nodded uncertainly, like she didn't even know that such a right had ever existed. And considering her file, Tsunade wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case.

The Sanin smiled slightly, "Until we find a place for you to stay, you can live with Shizune in her apartment." Tsunade turned to look at her assistant, who nodded in return. She turned back to the girl once more, "That is all for today. Come back tomorrow morning with Shizune and I will let you know who you will be training with."

With that, Shizune led Kira out of the office. Tsunade sighed, pleased with how things turned out over all. Now all she had to do was find that girl a place to live and a team willing to take on a newbie. _But first, _she thought, pulling out another bottle, _a little drink to make the work go more smoothly!_

**End of Chapter six! Don't worry, you'll eventually find out what happened to poor Kira that has everyone so shaken up. I'd say in about four or five more chapters…maybe. :D Please read and review! So far most of you are only doing the first! :P**


	8. Chapter 7: Life In Konoha

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 7: Life In Konoha**

_**(Six Months Later)**_

"Kiiiiiiiiira-chaaan!" came a loud voice through the early morning streets belonging to the figure hurdling toward Kira at a breakneck pace. She easily sidestepped the oncoming onslaught and the figure fell face first into the dirt.

"Good morning Naruto-sama," she said politely.

"Ne ne Kira-chan, what'd you do that for?" asked the rambunctious blonde, rubbing the red mark on his forehead caused by the sudden face-plant.

"I would rather not be tackled, Naruto-sama, sorry."

Naruto scrunched up his face and stood, brushing the dirt off his clothes, "How many times do I have to ask you to stop adding '–sama' after my name? It makes me feel weird."

"Anyway, Naruto-sama," she continued, ignoring his request, "What are you doing up so early? It's only five o'clock."

Naruto's face lit up in a goofy grin, "I have a mission, believe it!"

Kira nodded, "Good luck then." She turned and started to walk away.

"Ne Kira-chan, where're you going?"

Kira inclined her head slightly towards him, "To find my team. We're increasing my training this morning."

"Oh, right! Cause you just got promoted! Congrats, by the way. It took me years to become a chunin!" Naruto turned his head slightly and mumbled, "Course, I could have become one sooner if I hadn't been off training with Ero-sennin."

Kira's lips twitched upward slightly, her form of a smile. "Thank you. But I must be going now. I don't wish to be late."

"Oh no! I got to go too! Sakura-chan's going to kill me if I'm late again!" he turned and dashed off toward the village gates calling back, "I'll see you later Kira-chan!"

Kira shook her head slightly and continued walking to the training field where she would meet the team she had been assigned to for the last six months. Over that time period, Kira had been able to start talking with some of the shinobi of the village. No one, as of yet, had tried hurting her. On the contrary, everyone, including the males, showed a kindness that Kira had long since forgotten existed. She was still considerably polite to any male that she crossed paths with, but she no longer felt the need to cower when one was nearby. She had her team, Naruto-sama, and Inoichi-sama to thank for that.

After learning about her full past, Inoichi had taken it upon himself to make her feel welcome in the village. He often invited her over for dinner with him and his family. Kira had found out that his daughter, Ino, had been one of the two medics that helped to save Hinata and Shino. Ino was alright. A little too outgoing and forward for Kira to really connect with, but not bad. Inoichi on the other hand, had been treating Kira like he would his own daughter. It took a while for Kira to accept that kindness without being suspicious of his intentions.

And Naruto was just being Naruto, according to Shizune. He always welcomed people with open arms and believed that everyone had some good in them. He never turned his back on someone once he declared them his friend and he somehow managed to bring out the best in people. He had been the first to make her 'smile' with his antics. And it was thanks to him that she had become widely accepted in the village despite her quiet, aloof nature and nearly expressionless disposition.

She came out of her own thoughts as she walked onto the field. She was greeted with silence, which wasn't very unusual. One of her more… outgoing… teammates had taken it upon himself to try and find a way to sneak up on her without detection. So far, he had yet to make any progress.

She found all of them easily. Two were in the trees, out of the way and simply observing another soon-to-be failed attempt. Really, when would that boy learn? Speaking of which, he was in the pond. What in the world had possessed him to go straight into her element, she probably would never fully comprehend.

She waved her hand in his direction and had a wave of water dump him onto dry land.

"Oomph!" he said as he hit the ground, "Dang it! That didn't work either!" he growled in defeat.

"Of course it didn't. Why? Because you were in the water that she can control," stated her other teammate, jumping down from in the trees, followed soon by the third.

"Shut it, Bug-boy! I thought if I was surrounded by the stuff, maybe she wouldn't see the water in me," he said, petting the large dog that came to console his partner.

"Maybe next time Kiba-sama," Kira said.

He 'hmph-ed' and got up. He then turned to her with a grin on his face, "It's really no wonder that you passed the exams," he said, quickly getting over his loss, "At this rate, you'll be an ANBU right along with us!"

Hinata smiled shyly and nodded her agreement.

"You mastered the use of chakra quite quickly, too," the Hyuuga commented, "Even though you rarely use it."

"It helps when I need to run faster or climb trees. Now, shall we get started?" Kira asked, getting straight to business.

Each member turned to Kira and got ready. Today's training: multiple attackers.

**…**

The two girls were walking home after getting supper with the guys when Hinata looked to the silent, impassive girl beside her.

"Kira-san?" she asked carefully, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"Do you, um, well," she sighed, "Do you like it in Konoha? Don't you ever miss home?"

Kira flinched, "I don't have a home to go back to."

The Hyuuga's eyes widened, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up unwanted memories. I was just…curious."

"I understand. Don't worry about it."

Hinata pressed her fingertips together as they continued walking in silence for a few moments.

"Yes," Kira said, seemingly out of the blue.

Hinata's hands fell to her side as she turned to look at her, "Huh?"

"The answer to your first question. Yes, I like Konoha. It's like a start to a new life for me. One that I never would have dreamed of." Hinata smiled and silence claimed the night, only more comfortably then before.

"How do you like living where you are?" Hinata asked, again breaking the silence. Kira thought a moment, "It's not bad. Shizune-san is kind."

Six months ago, when the Hokage was looking for a place for Kira to stay, she thought that having her stay with someone who fully knew her past would be the best option. Being the Hokage, she couldn't personally take in the girl. What if she really was a spy? Precautions had been necessary. As for Inoichi, although Kira felt more comfortable around him than she would around most other males, he _was _still male, so he was out. This left Shizune. So far, things seemed to be going alright. Shizune had started calling Kira her 'little sister.' Kira wasn't so sure she agreed with the sentiment, considering she had never really felt that kind of connection before, but she didn't dispute it. It was kind of nice having her around.

She and Hinata had reached her and Shizune's apartment. After a quick goodnight, Kira turned to go inside.

Shizune wasn't home yet. No surprise there. Since the Akatsuki had suddenly reappeared in the area, the Hokage (and by association, Shizune) had been swamped with paperwork and requests from different towns in the Land of Fire to send shinobi for protection.

Kira sighed. She still wasn't sure why everyone was so scared of a group of a few shinobi. _All well, _she thought, _it has nothing to really do with me_. She went into her room and got ready for bed. She needed to rest up. She would be undergoing a massive amount of training to get ready for the Jounin Exams in four months. Yes, she had _just _been promoted to chunin not too long ago, but she wanted to catch up to her teammates as soon as possible. Who knew what could happen in a short period of time?

**There we go…kind of a necessary filler type of chapter. A big thank you to HalfwayParanoid for the review! I'm glad you like it so far. I hope I don't disappoint! :D I'll try to get the next chapter out soon! Please read and review people!**


	9. Chapter 8: Akatsuki

**To clarify one of the questions, Kira adds '–sama' after a guy's name as a show of high respect. She's not a fangirl. :) Good question StupidityNowOffersWisdom. Hope this helps!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 8: Akatsuki**

_**(Six Months Later)**_

Kira's unconscious state of sleep was interrupted by a loud knocking on her window. The moment sleep left her, she became instantly aware of everything and everyone in the village. She focused her senses on the person knocking, obviously a shinobi considering this was the third floor and she had no balcony. When she found who it was, her irritation over awaking early vanished.

She crossed to the other side of her room and opened the window, "Hinata-san? What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

"The Hokage requests our presence in her office immediately. Akatsuki were spotted in the area."

Kira nodded and grabbed her weapons holster. Not needing to change clothes since she slept in her kunoichi outfit, she was out of the apartment in ten seconds flat. It was a habit from sleeping in the forest for a year. If she was ever in danger and needed to escape, she wouldn't have to worry about changing first or being inappropriately dressed while on the run.

Kira and Hinata entered the Hokage's office. Kiba and Shino were already there, waiting on them in order to receive their instructions.

"Good, you're here," Tsunade said, "You're the last team that needs briefing. According to the reports of a nearby town, the Akatsuki were spotted a few miles north of here. I'm having teams spread out to find them. Once found, you are not to engage them. Send for backup immediately. Do you understand your mission?"

"Hai."

"Very good. Shino will be team captain as usual. The four of you-" Akamaru gave a light bark, "Excuse me, the _five _of you," the dog wagged his tail slightly in approval, "will be sent northwest. If you have not found any trace of them in three days or have been called to assist another team, you are to return and report. That is all."

"Hai!"

The team ran to the village gates and headed northwest as instructed. No verbal communication was necessary. They had all been doing missions together for a year now and knew the different formations and strategies used on these various missions.

There was no evidence found on the first day suggesting that the intended targets had been in this part of the forest. Over the next twelve hours, they had gotten about half of the ground assigned covered.

"I believe we should split up to cover more ground. Why? Because we were given the largest amount of land to cover and need to put our various tracking abilities to good use," came Shino's passive voice.

The rest of the team nodded in agreement. "So who's going with who Bug-boy?" Kiba asked.

"You will come with me. The girls will go together. Why? Because your nose makes up for what the kikaichu miss and the girls' visual abilities balance each other out. Plus, although Kira has grown use to us, she would still be more comfortable around a female."

"Thank you, Shino-sama," said Kira.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Kiba said, getting impatient from the lack of excitement, "let's just go."

Shino nodded to the two kunoichi, "We regroup here tomorrow at this time," he stated, then he jumped away with Kiba and Akamaru close behind. The girls sprinted off in the other direction, senses alert and Byakugan activated.

After a few hours, Hinata stopped in a small clearing, "We'll rest here for the night. I'll take first watch."

"I can take first watch, Hinata-san."

Hinata shook her head, "You've barely slept since we've been out here. Get some rest and I'll wake you in a few hours."

Nodding reluctantly, Kira walked over to a nearby tree and placed herself in between its roots. Leaning her head back against the bark, she closed her already darkened eyes. Now all she needed to do was have her mind shut off. Until that happened, her senses would keep alerting her to the different things happening throughout the forest whether she wanted them to or not. She concentrated on the closest living thing. Hinata. She focused on the girl's even breathing and copied the tempo. After a few minutes, the repetitive movement lulled the girl into a deep sleep.

**…**

A loud thud. That was the sound that jolted Kira out of her sleep. Her mind focused on multiple things at once. First, Hinata was on the ground unconscious. Second, the Hyuuga was bleeding from a head wound, likely the cause of her current state. And third, the people that had put her teammate into that current state were standing around her.

"What the heck?" one of the strange men said, "they both have the same eyes, yeah. Which one are we supposed to take?"

"Why don't you play inny-minny-miney-mo and hope you're right?" came the voice of the largest figure, "or you could just ask the one that's still conscious what her name is."

"Shut it, Fish-face, yeah. We don't have time for your jokes," the first replied.

"But apparently we have time for your stupid questions," the second retorted.

The first figure looked over to Kira, "Hey girl, which one of you is the jounin named Kira, yeah?"

Kira's face remained emotionless as she stood, "What do you want from me?"

"See, that wasn't so hard, now was it kid?" came the gruff voice of the large figure.

"I said shut it, yeah!" the smaller figure crossed his arms and glared at the larger figure that was laughing and trying to catch his breath.

"Oh, geez," the first figure groaned. He then turned his sights onto Kira again, "We're from Akatsuki, yeah. Our orders were to bring back the girl with Hyuuga eyes named Kira. Rank: jounin. Abilities different from the typical Hyuuga, yeah."

Kira focused on the two the moment he said they were Akatsuki. The first was shorter with long hair half tied up. He, strangely, had mouth-like features on his hands. The other figure was extremely large with an equally large sword. He had an odd feature as well; gills. She was completely still and tried to think. She needed to find a way to get Hinata and escape.

At that moment, a third figure walked out of the underbrush and into the clearing. She had been so focused on the other two, since Akatsuki were known to only travel in pairs, that she hadn't sensed this man's approach.

"Ita-chan, nice of you to make it," came the teasing gruff voice. After a sharp glare, he spoke again, "Oh, stop your glaring, I was joking about the nickname. More importantly, we found our target," He gestured to the girl.

But Kira was no longer paying attention to the larger one's taunts. She was trembling. She hadn't felt this tremendous amount of fear in so long, she had almost forgotten how bad it was. The third figure had her full attention. The one that had such a familiar build, same height, same features, but slightly more defined muscles. Memories assaulted the girl.

"_Kira, you look so much like your mother." "She's not my daughter!" "It's your fault! Kaori is dead because of you!" "You will not scream. You will not cry. You will not struggle."_

The third man turned and looked at her. Only one fear-laden word slipped from her lips.

"Father?"

**Who is her dad? What happened to this girl? Who is Kaori? Why am I so evil with these cliffhangers? All will be answered in the next few chapters! Except maybe the one about my cliffhangers o.o ... Anyway! Please read and review!**


	10. Chapter 9: Kidnapped

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 9: Kidnapped**

"Father?" repeated the fish-man, brow wrinkled in confusion. He turned to the third man, "Yo, Itachi, you have a kid?"

Itachi sent another glare to his partner, "No."

"Well she's staring at you and called you father. You sure she's not your kid?" the large man said, now taunting the smaller. After receiving a blank stare, the large man just shrugged, "Eh, you're no fun," he turned back to Kira, who was still shaking uncontrollably, "Listen girly, we're taking you back to the base. Your choice, easy way or hard way. Easy way being you come with us with no fight. Hard way, we kill your friend here then knock you out cold. Take your pick," he said, finishing with a sharp tooth grin.

Kira's senses turned to Hinata, still in a comatose state. She couldn't let someone die because of her again. And she couldn't see any other options at that moment. Kira turned to the big man and nodded.

Another, larger grin crossed his face, "Perfect! Easier than I thought. These leaf-nin are all so soft hearted," he laughed, "Hey Deidara, you'll take the girl on your little birdie. It'll be harder for her to try anything up there if she suddenly gains some courage."

"It's not a little birdie, yeah! It's art! And why can't I blow up her friend here? She could go out with a bang, yeah."

"Just shut up and get going. Leader is expecting us back soon."

"Fine, yeah," he grumbled, walking over to Kira. He grabbed her arm, the sudden pain jolting her out of her panicked shaking, making her go absolutely still.

"_You cannot scream. You cannot cry. You cannot struggle,"_ came the voice in her memories. A voice that she obeyed with every fiber of her being.

After Deidara had made his clay bird, he jumped on, still gripping her arm. She heard a distinct pop; her shoulder had been dislocated. Deidara looked at her, obviously expecting some kind of reaction to the injury. All he got was the blank stare of pupil-less eyes. She gave no indication that she felt the pain that had to be going through her shoulder. With a shrug, he had his bird take off.

It was a quiet trip, outside of the wind rushing through their ears. After a while, Deidara turned to look at his captive. She seemed to be staring right through him. He scoffed and was about to turn away when he noticed that her arm was almost flapping behind her. Not reacting to a dislocated shoulder was one thing, but not reacting to that same injured shoulder when the arm is being jostled by high force winds was another.

He tsk-ed, then moved closer to her. She didn't react as he got closer or even when he grabbed her arm again. It was like she was a lifeless doll. He popped her shoulder back in place, then returned to his seat in the front of the bird. With his back turned to her, he didn't notice the slight confusion enter Kira's eyes for a brief moment.

**…**

"We're here, yeah," Deidara said to the vacant girl behind him. He looked back as they were descending. She nodded slightly, the only sign that showed that she was, in fact, still alive. When they landed, Deidara took her arm again, though it wasn't as bruising of a grip as before.

Kira extended her senses slightly and found that they were in front of a cave like structure. Furthering her senses even more, she found that there were tunnels that formed a sort of labyrinth underground.

Deidara pulled out a cloth and covered her eyes. A sensation that was so familiar and, at the same time, so very pointless. It seemed like the Akatsuki had heard of her ability, just not much about her. Though it wasn't like she broadcasted her lack of sight. Only those that had worked with her before knew of her condition. There really was no need explain to others repeatedly how she could do the things she did without the use of her eyes.

Deidara tugged her arm, pulling her from her thoughts and into the Akatsuki's catacombs. They walked through the passageways, taking turns here and there, going downward the entire time. He finally stopped at a door and opened it. Taking out a cord from beneath his cloak, he tied her hands behind her back.

"Someone will be back in a little while to take you to the interrogation chambers, yeah," he said quietly. He then turned and walked out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Left alone, Kira sat on the wooden cot, the only thing in her cell. She relaxed slightly. Being in the presence of that man that was a near duplicate of her father had shattered her rational thinking. These men radiated intimidation and danger and had a presence that demanded respect. Because of that, she had reverted back to her old self.

"_You cannot scream. You cannot cry. You cannot struggle," _came the voice again. Kira wished that her hands were free so she could cover her ears. At the same time she knew that that wouldn't have silenced her past from haunting her.

After about an hour, Kira was once again drawn from her thoughts, this time from an approaching figure. It was the large fish-man from before.

"Come on girly," he said, "Time for a little talk."

She stood obediently and walked over to him. He took her arm, turned, and started down the halls, almost dragging her behind thanks to his longer strides. They went deeper into the caverns until they came to another door. They were now a couple hundred feet underground. He opened the door and pushed her into a large room. He removed her blindfold, but kept her restraints on.

"What the fuck, Kisame," came a new voice, "You fucking called me down here to play with some bitch?"

"Shut it, Hidan," Kisame said, "She's that one that Leader wanted us to bring back. She might be good for some information on Konoha."

"Whatever, you fucking heathen," came Hidan's bored reply.

"Hey, Itachi, I brought your illegitimate daughter. Why don't you say hi?" Kisame said, trying to get a rise out of his partner.

Itachi raised his head to stare at Kisame from his spot leaning against the back wall, "I have no child," came his passive voice.

Kira stayed silent during the whole exchange. Her father's doppelganger, a fish-man, a vulgar man, and a guy with mouths on his hands. These were the people that had her at their mercy. For probably the first time in her life, she was glad for everything that she had been through, because even with this strange assortment of people, there was nothing they could do that hadn't already been done to her. There was nothing they could do to make her utter more than a slight whimper. She would not betray Konoha. They had given her a new life, if only for a while. She would protect them, even at the cost of her own life.

**What will they do to her? Will she break? Why did Deidara help her? So many questions, so many chapters left to write before all the answers can be revealed. :D Please read and review!**


	11. Chapter 10: Torture

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 10: Torture**

"So, what? We just need to get some fuckin information out of this bitch, then I can fuckin leave?" Hidan asked, brandishing his scythe.

Kisame shrugged nonchalantly, "Basically. Why, you wanna have a go first?"

"Fuck yeah! If I had to be fuckin called away from missions where I can sacrifice to Jashin-sama, then I better get something out of it!" he said, starting to walk over to Kira who stood in the middle of the room, absolutely still.

"And this bitch isn't even moving a fucking inch! That's no fun!" pouted Hidan as he raised his scythe.

"Hold it, zombie-boy," Kisame said, having Hidan stop mid swing, "You have to actually keep this one alive. We need information, not a new corpse."

Hidan scoffed and lowered his weapon, "Well that's no fuckin fun."

"You get to torture her. You'll see her in insurmountable pain at your hands. I thought you loved that stuff."

Hidan grinned, "Now your fuckin talkin my language."

Kira made herself go numb. She blocked off her emotions internally and had her mind wonder. _I cannot scream. I cannot cry. I cannot struggle. _She repeated the mantra that had been bored into her head for years. She was nothing again. Merely an object that someone could take out their frustrations on.

Hidan grabbed one of the three blades on his weapon and made a large cut on his palm. He slowly let the blood drip onto the ground, causing a small puddle. After a few moments, he dragged his foot through the puddle and drew a circle with a triangle in it in his blood. He then turned to Kira with a sadistic grin and relowered his scythe. Kira didn't flinch as he cut her cheek. Her kekkei genkai activated, she watched as he licked the blood off the sharp edge. As her blood entered his system, his chakra immediately engulfed it. The blood dissipated, mingled with his chakra, and traveled to every inch of his body. He moved back to stand inside his bloody drawing on the floor.

"Damn, it's going to be fun to hear this bitch scream!" he shouted as he took out a retractable spear. He rose it high, then plunged it into his leg.

He looked up, and instead of seeing Kira on the ground in agony, she still stood in the middle of the floor with a blank expression on her face.

"Hey Hidan," called a grinning Kisame, "you sure you got her blood? Zetsu won't dig you out of the ground again if you get caught in another Konoha trap like with that Shikamaru kid."

"Shut the fuck up you damn fish!" Hidan yelled, getting ticked off, "It was her fuckin blood that I licked. I felt my scythe bite into her fuckin flesh!"

Itachi glanced up, "Look at her leg."

Hidan did so and saw a stream of blood pooling on the floor. He smirked, "See, you overgrown anchovy, I did fuckin get her!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kisame turned to Itachi, "Why do you always want to ruin my fun, eh?" Itachi ignored him and continued to watch the girl. Kisame shrugged and turned back as well.

Hidan grinned manically, and buried the spear into his abdomen, "How do you fuckin like that one, huh bitch? Isn't the pain amazing?"

Kira didn't flinch as an identical hole appeared on her stomach. She just stood there, gazing into nothingness. Hidan's eye twitched in annoyance, "What the fuck? Why isn't she doing anything? That no fun, damn it!" He tried cutting his sides, stabbing different body parts, and breaking his bones. Everything done to himself was recreated on Kira's body automatically. Each time Hidan injured himself, he looked expectantly at the unresponsive girl in front of him. He shrieked in frustration. Why wouldn't she fall to the floor screaming in pain and writhe in agony?

Hidan raised the spear and plunged it towards his heart. A hand stopped him just as the spear touched his skin. He looked up to find Itachi gripping his arm.

"We can't kill her," came his impassive voice.

Hidan scoffed and shook off Itachi's hand. He walked to the back of the room, "Whatever, this bitch is crazy. You try to get her to fuckin talk."

Itachi nodded and turned to Kira, still standing despite the significant blood loss and numerous injuries scattered across her body. _I cannot scream. I cannot cry. I cannot struggle, _she thought over and over again.

"You going to use Tsukuyomi on her already kid?" Kisame asked.

In response, Itachi activated his Sharingan and approached the girl. As he stood before her, he took her face with one hand and had her look into his eyes. Her only reaction was a shiver of fear running up her spine. After a few minutes passed, he furrowed his brow and released her.

"Well?" Kisame asked.

Itachi turned to his partner, "It seems that she is immune to my Sharingan," he said simply.

Kisame's eyebrows shot up, "How's that possible kid? No one's completely immune to genjutsu."

Itachi gestured to Kira, "She seems to have more than one unique ability."

Kisame grinned, "My turn then."

He shrugged off the wall and sauntered over to the girl. "Since genjutsu and physical pain don't seem to work, how about I try something a bit different."

He did a series of hand signs, then held one hand towards her.

"What the fuck? I thought you said we couldn't kill her!" came Hidan's voice before a rushing sound filled her ears. In seconds her entire body was encased in a Water Prison Technique. She gave an internal sigh of relief. The water was exactly what she needed. She automatically created a pocket of air around her mouth so she could breathe. At the same time, she felt a familiar tingle in her injuries. As the water poured into her wounds, Kira added a bit of chakra, causing her injuries to begin healing.

After a minute, she was dropped to the floor, most of the gouges in her skin now reduced to small scratches or new scars.

"It seems that she is a medical ninja that uses water to enhance her healing ability," Itachi said.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Hidan shouted.

"Shut up Hidan," Kisame said, interrupting the soon-to-be rant from the immortal. He turned to Itachi, "And where's that bomb-crazy kid?"

"He said he didn't wish to participate in the information gathering this time around," Itachi answered.

Hidan bristled, "That little pansy! He thinks he's too damn good for this kind of stuff? Well, fuck him. We don't need some fucking transvestite to get information out of a girl!"

"And what do you suggest, oh mighty zombie," Kisame asked sarcastically, growing somewhat tired of the loud, constant cursing, "We haven't been able to get her to do more than wince."

Hidan's grin widened as he thought for a moment, "We're just using the wrong fuckin strategy."

Itachi rose an eyebrow, "Oh, and what kind should we be using?" he asked skeptically.

Hidan walked over to Kira, who was still on the floor, internally repeating her mantra.

"Simple, if you think about it for one damn minute. She's a girl. What is one thing all girls fear above pain?"

"I'm not following here," said Kisame, unfolding his arms.

Hidan smirked, then bent down in front of her, "Being violated," with that he reached out to her and grabbed the collar of her shirt. In one swift movement, he had ripped it down the front, exposing Kira's chest and bindings. She began shaking a bit, but continued to remain motionless.

"What do you think you are doing," Itachi asked, moving forward to stop Hidan.

"Getting the fuckin information you want while having some fun, what does it fuckin look like?"

Itachi grabbed Hidan's arm and threw him across the room. Kira didn't notice. She was consumed by thoughts of her past and her mantra was blaring in her head.

_I cannot scream. I cannot cry. I cannot struggle. I cannot scream. I cannot cry. I cannot struggle._ "I cannot scream. I cannot cry. I cannot struggle," she whispered, not even realizing she had spoken aloud. Itachi turned to her, having been the only one to hear her near silent utterings. Before he could question her about it, the door to the room was flung open.

"What is going on in here?" asked a deep commanding voice.

The room went silent as heads turned to the newcomer. Kira stopped mid thought as the presence of this one man filled the room. He was a bit taller than average, though quite a bit shorter than the fish-man. His body was littered with piercings in every available space. He radiated an authority that made the Hokage almost dim in comparison.

His eyes turned to her, then focused on Hidan, "My orders were to question this girl on Konoha. Not to violate her."

"She wouldn't fuckin talk!" Hidan said, standing from where Itachi had thrown him, "I was just using a different method."

"If she wouldn't give you information on Konoha, then you were supposed to get her background history."

Hidan looked to Kisame, "Well why the fuck didn't you say so sooner, huh?"

Kisame scratched the back of his head, "Eh, I forgot. Sue me."

"Leader-sama," Itachi said, "Why do you need this girl's background history?"

The leader turned to him, "She may be a candidate for our organization. She has shown great potential."

Itachi nodded slightly, "True, she does have unique abilities."

Leader rose an eyebrow, indicating for him to continue.

"She was able to almost completely heal herself with water, more so than an average medic-nin. That, and she seems to be immune to genjutsu."

Leader walked further into the room. He was followed by another person. A woman. Kira relaxed minutely with the added presence of another female.

The pierced man approached her and looked into her eyes a moment.

"She is blind. Genjutsu will not affect those without sight," he said nonchalantly. He stood and looked around the room, "Where is Deidara?"

"He pussied out and decided he didn't want to come," Hidan replied with a sneer.

Leader nodded, "Konan," the woman turned to him, "Inform Deidara that he will be the sole caretaker for our guest. He will bring her her meals and guard her until she is ready to give us the information we desire."

Konan bowed and left the room. The leader tuned to those remaining, "You will be present when we gather the information, as will I. I need to make sure that there won't be a repeat of what has just occurred. You may leave until further notice."

Hidan grumbled about this being a waste of time, picked up his scythe and pushed past the leader on his way out. Kisame and Itachi bowed more respectfully and left the room. The leader remained quiet and merely exited the room once Deidara had arrived. Deidara's eyes widened momentarily at the state Kira was in. He quickly recovered and went to retrieve her from her place on the floor.

Kira remained in a daze. She didn't notice the uncharacteristically concerned look of the bomber as he walked her to her cell. She didn't notice the lock clicking as he shut the door. She didn't notice how uncomfortable the wooden cot was in the bare room. She was nothing again. A no one. A thing.

…

Kira wasn't sure how much time had passed. She had fallen asleep after being in a trance-like state for a few hours. She had awoken when the lock clicked open. Deidara walked in, carrying a bowl of soup in one hand and a shirt in the other. He tossed the shirt to her, "I thought you might be more comfortable if you changed, yeah," he muttered in explanation. She mechanically picked up the shirt and began removing the tattered cloth of her old one. Deidara turned around quickly, giving her some semblance of privacy. When he was sure that she was done, he turned back and set the bowl on the end of the cot.

"I'll be back for the bowl later on, yeah," he said as he exited the cell again, locking it once more.

Kira ate on auto-pilot, not even tasting the soup. As promised, Deidara returned about half an hour later to gather the dish.

And so a routine was set. Deidara would come to bring food, she would eat, he would return for the dishes. Every so often, he would try to make conversation. "Do you need a blanket?" "Was the food ok?" "Has anyone come in to try anything with you?" To each question she would respond with a silent nod or shake of her head.

For two weeks, the routine was unwavered and Kira had grown use to the strange man. He hadn't hurt her since the incident on his clay bird that first day. He didn't even try to force her to talk. Sometimes he would just come in and talk a little about his art and his old partners in Akatsuki. She would never respond, which he didn't seem to mind. He would just continue on as if she was the greatest company he could find. Of course, considering his other options, that may not have been far from the truth.

As the days went by, Kira began to feel human again. Though she didn't talk, the interactions with Deidara had reawakened what she had found in Konoha. A small light of acceptance, maybe even kindness.

When he walked into her cell the next day, she knew something was different. Konan was with him this time. She stood, knowing what was happening. It was time to tell the one story she never wanted to relive again.

She was led back to the room she had been tortured in and was made to sit in a chair. Konan sat in another across from her. The rest of the members, including the leader she had learned was named Pein, were against the back wall, somewhat far from her, though still close enough to hear anything that was said.

"You know what is expected, correct?" Konan asked.

Kira nodded slightly and spoke for the first time since she had been brought to the base, "What about me do you wish to know?"

"Everything."

**There's chapter ten! Hope you liked it :D Her past revealed in the next chapter!**

**Tsukuyomi: A genjutsu that traps opponents' minds in an illusory world, torturing them for what feels like days in a matter of seconds.**

**Please read and review!**


	12. Chapter 11: Her Past Part 1

"_Italics_" indicate her past self. "Regular" font indicates present self.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 11: Her Past (Part 1)**

"What about me do you wish to know?" Kira asked the only female Akatsuki member.

"Everything," Konan replied evenly.

"Then this will be a rather long story."

"We have time."

Kira nodded and closed her eyes. A pointless act really, but it brought a small semblance of comfort to her.

"I was born in a town just outside the Hidden Mist village in the Land of Water," she started.

Kisame smirked, "My part of the world, eh?"

Kira continued, ignoring his comment, "I was the first child to my parents. At first they didn't notice anything wrong with me, but after a little while, they found out that I couldn't see anything."

"So Leader-sama was right? You're blind?" asked Konan from her seat in front of Kira.

"Hai, I was born that way."

"Then why does it seem like you can see? You don't seem to have much trouble knowing where people and objects are," stated Deidara from the back of the room.

"I'm getting to that," she replied, then briefly paused for a moment, "When I was three years old, I tapped into my kekkei genkai. Because of that, my world started to change drastically."

**…**

"_Mommy, Mommy! I can see, I can see!" came the happy cry of three year old Kira._

_The woman with her, Kaori, turned to her daughter and smiled slightly, "Sweetheart, you have a blindfold on. Even if that were true, you wouldn't know it."_

_Kira reached up and touched the cloth that had surrounded her eyes for the past two years. Apparently the other townspeople were uncomfortable looking into unseeing eyes._

_The little girl pouted, "But it's the truth!" she insisted, "I'll prove it."_

_Turning and pointing to different people slowly walking through the early morning streets outside the market, she started listing off various things, "That's a lady carrying something, that's a man with a boy on his shoulders, there's a wagon with two horses, that's-"_

"_Kira, stop," came the serious voice of her mother. Kira turned to her with confusion etched on her face. She had never heard her mom sound like that. A mixture of fear and anger. It scared the little girl._

"_It must be the family kekkei genkai," her mom almost whispered to herself._

"_What about a kekkei genkai?" came a gruff voice out of nowhere, making Kira's mother jump. She turned slowly to see one of the village elders._

"_Which one of you has the family kekkei genkai, or is it both?" he asked menacingly._

_Kaori's eyes widened in horror, "It's my family. I have the kekkei genkai. Kira doesn't have it."_

"_She's your daughter, so she carries the gene," came the cold reply. More of the village's men stared to surround the two._

"_No! She doesn't!" she looked down at her little girl, who was clutching her skirt and shaking uncontrollably, "She's not my daughter! She's the child of my husband's first wife. She's not my flesh and blood!" she insisted._

**…**

"She was lying, of course," Kira stated, "She was my real mother. But we had moved to that town only a year prior, so no one could argue her statements," she paused again, "I was ripped away from her. She was beaten to death right there in front of me, because she wanted to save me from that very same fate."

"So what kind of fuckin ability do you have to make those pricks wanna beat the shit outta you?" came Hidan's question.

"I can control water with my mind without chakra. That's also what allows me a sense of sight. A shinobi that entered my thoughts described it as my world being black and blue. The water in a lake, a human body, or in the air would be various shades of blue, whereas an object with no water, like a rock, would be black."

"Hold on a fuckin minute," Hidan interrupted with a smirk, "Does that mean you can see through clothes?"

"Yes and no. The same shinobi that I mentioned before told me it was like everyone was wearing transparent plastic. I can see the clothing there, it just doesn't hide anything," she replied.

Hidan's smirk got bigger, "So to you, I'm fuckin naked right now?" Kira nodded in confirmation, "Like what you see?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"You have the same thing every other male has. There is no difference between you and anyone else in this room, save Konan-san and I," she stated calmly.

"You have to be fuckin kidding me right?" Hidan stated irritably, "And are you sure you want to include blondie here in that statement?" he said, jerking his thumb in Deidara's direction, "He's probably more like you girls."

Deidara clenched his fists and teeth, "Why you-!"

"Actually," Kira interrupted, "if you want to compare, Deidara-sama is quite a bit larger then you in that area," she stated monotonously, as if she were merely talking about the weather.

Hidan seethed while Deidara snickered at the immortal, though with a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. Kisame laughed boisterously, his voice echoing off the walls of the room.

"Shut up you heathens, before I sacrifice you to Jashin-sama!" Hidan shouted. After earning a glare from Pein, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, muttering curses.

Pein turned to Kira, "Ignore him. Go back to your story."

Kira nodded, "My father, after that, was never the same. He blamed me for my mother's death, so he ignored me for years, yelling that he was sick just looking at me. He would go out every night and stumble home in the mornings drunk. This went on steadily for three years. I did my best at that time to take care of everything in the house. I did anything I could think of to try to get my dad to like me again, or just praise me once. But I was just a kid, I could never get anything right. Then one night, shortly after I turned six, something changed again."

**…**

"_Kira! Where are you, you sniveling little piece of shit?" Kira's father stumbled into their small home completely drunk. The six year old girl came out of the kitchen._

"_Supper is almost ready father," she said quietly, head down._

_The man walked over and slapped her across the face. A look of shock registered on the girl's features._

"_I've had enough of you being late with my supper. You're already a worthless piece of shit, eating my food and living in my house. You can't even make a decent meal!"_

"_I'm sorry, father, I'll do better, I promise," said Kira, voice quivering and tears flowing down her cheeks._

"_What? You're going to cry now? You're lucky I didn't start beating you sooner! It's thanks to you that Kaori died! Why did she have to go and protect a worthless piece of trash like you?" he slapped Kira again, hard enough to split her lip this time._

"_Please, father, it hurts," she cried._

"_Fuck off! You have the nerve to tell me it hurts! You don't know the pain you caused me over the years! I have to look at you every fucking day and be reminded that Kaori isn't here anymore," he grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. Kira started to gasp, clawing at his hands, trying to get a breath of air._

"_It's about time I taught you a lesson. You will not scream. You will not cry. No matter what I do, it's nothing compared to what you did to me or your mother you arrogant piece of shit!"_

_He threw her across the room. As she hit the wall, the remaining air she had was knocked from her lungs. She slumped to the floor when she felt a sharp kick to her side, hearing something crack. A rib was broken. She started sobbing and whimpering in pain._

"_What did I just say you stupid child! You will not scream. You will not cry. You will learn this quickly, or you will be sent to the real hell where you belong!"_

**…**

"Every day after that, my father would come home drunk and beat me," Kira said, "Not too long after that, I found another use for my kekkei genkai, other than moving water and seeing. If I had a bit of water, I could heal myself. It wasn't until recently that I found out that I used water infused with my chakra to accomplish this."

Kira paused and took a breath, "I never used my ability around my father. If he ever saw me use the same technique that ultimately ended my mother's life, he would beat me until I was only left half alive. Whenever he left to go back to the bar in town, I would sneak out of the house and go to the nearby river to heal my wounds from the night before. He never noticed. He was always too drunk when he came home."

The room was completely silent. Everyone fixated on the kunoichi in the center of the room. Konan, Kisame and Deidara were leaning forward in anticipation to what came next. The others, Pein, Hidan, and Itachi, were listening intently as well, only with a less intense atmosphere about them.

"For six years, my father beat me. I eventually grew use to the pain. I did as he had asked. I no longer screamed when he hit me or broke my bones. I no longer cried when he burned my skin. I became practically emotionless. Even though I could feel the agony every time he beat me, I no longer reacted. I didn't think it could get any worse. I was wrong."

**O.O Am I a bad person for leaving it at that? What do you think of Kira's story so far? Pretty intense, huh? As always my faithful readers, please read and review!**


	13. Chapter 12: Her Past Part 2

"_Italics"_ indicate her past self. "Regular" font indicates present self.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 12: Her Past (Part 2)**

"For six years, my father beat me. I didn't think it could get any worse. I was wrong," Kira said with a light sigh. This was getting hard. At least with Inoichi, he could just read her memories. It was so much worse reliving it out loud.

"It doesn't seem like it could get much worse than that really," came Kisame's doubtful remark. Deidara and Hidan nodded in agreement. Konan pursed her lips, suspecting where this was going.

"Continue," Pein ordered.

Kira took another breath to steady herself, "I was twelve. My father had left again for the bars that morning. But when he came home, he seemed different. Almost calmer. And it was terrifying."

**…**

"_Kira, come here for a minute," said her father, softer then she had heard his voice since her mother's death. Kira approached the man, head down, body automatically tensing for the blow that was expected to come. Instead, he took a piece of her hair and twirled it around his finger._

"_You look so much like your mother. How old are you now Kira?" he asked in that same soft voice. "T-twelve, father," she stuttered, dreading when this nice act would end._

"_Twelve. You're already a young lady now aren't you?" he smiled at her, and for some reason, Kira's instincts were telling her to run. That he was more dangerous now than ever before._

"_Do you remember your mantra?" he asked._

"_D-do not s-scream. Do not c-cry," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady._

_He nodded his head slowly, "That's right, and if you break that mantra, you'll be beaten twice as much as before," he said calmly with that gentle smile on his face. He paused in thought, "I believe you're old enough now that I can add another part to your mantra."_

_He moved to grip her upper arms so tightly, she thought they would break simply from his hold. He lifted her off the floor and walked into the other room. Within seconds, she was flying through the air. She braced herself, expecting to come in contact with the hard floor. Instead, her body met a softness she almost didn't recognize._

_She had landed on the bed. His bed to be exact, considering her bed had long since been sold to help pay for the cost of her father's habitual drinking. She was confused for a moment, then she noticed. Her father had removed his clothing and was walking over to her. Her eyes widened in fear. What was he doing?_

"_The new part to your mantra is 'Do not struggle.'" She obeyed and stayed perfectly still. He had hurt her so many different times, whatever it was he was doing now couldn't be much worse._

_He took off her dress, dirty and tattered as it was, and threw it across the room. He spread her legs slowly and positioned himself. With one thrust, he was inside._

_And she broke. Whatever he had just done seemed to rip apart her insides. For the first time in years, she screamed, tears flowing freely down her face. The pain was so unbearably excruciating. She wanted to die right then._

_But instead of the freedom of death, she received the pain of this nightmare. Despite her shrieks of torment, he kept moving inside her. She begged him to stop, a plea which he ignored completely. After a while, his pace increased, as did her screams. Finally, when he was done, he climbed off her and looked at her with disgust._

"_I'll let it go this one time, but tomorrow we'll try again. You will not scream. You will not cry. You will not struggle. If these conditions aren't met, then this will become a frequent occurrence." With that he left the room._

_Kira stayed on the bed for a few minutes, in shock. _"What just happened?"_ she kept asking herself over and over again. She slowly got up and out of bed, only to collapse to her knees once her feet hit the floor, the ache in her abdomen preventing further movement. After a few heavy breaths, she struggled to her feet, put her dress on, and made her way out of the room. She went past her father passed out on the couch and out of the house. She wasn't running. Where would she go? She went to the river. When she got to the edge of the water, she jumped in and began to heal her new wound._

**…**

"My father continued to rape me every night, sometimes multiple times in one day. Until I reached the age of fifteen. I thought that there wasn't a single thing he could do to me that he hadn't already done. But once again, I was wrong. He took the only thing that I had ever loved, other than my mother."

"What the fuck could he possibly do that's worse?" Hidan asked, "What'd he do, kill your puppy?"

"No," she responded somberly, "he killed my baby."

Everyone in the room was shocked into silence. Hidan's mouth opened and closed. He actually felt guilty for once. He turned slightly away from the girl and crossed his arms once again.

Konan rested a hand on Kira's shoulder. The girl stiffened slightly at the touch, but eased up after a moment.

"I thought that I might have been pregnant. I kept getting sick in the mornings and I hadn't had my period in a while. When I told him about my suspicions, he wasn't too happy. Said it was my fault because I was so careless. I left the house for the first time in about twelve years. Father had me change into different clothes, since mine were so worn. We went to the doctor at the town's clinic, about a half hour walk from the house. When we reached the clinic, father told them that I was a hired, live-in maid. They didn't question it, and on further examination, the doctor confirmed that I was, indeed, pregnant. Four months along."

"Father called me a whore and ordered the doctor to give me an abortion. The doctor hesitated, insisting that I should just carry the baby to term, then give it up for adoption if it was too much of a hassle to raise. He was afraid to do the surgery since I was so far along. He told father that the procedure could be dangerous, that it might kill me. But he insisted. Said that having me incapacitated for a long period of time wasn't worth keeping the baby. The risks were worth chancing. The doctor shook his head, but did the procedure."

Kira paused, "After that, he didn't touch me or hit me in any way. For a week, I was anticipating his next drunken fit. But it never came. Instead, seven days after my forced abortion, he said I was leaving. I didn't know what to think really. Then he told me that I was now too damaged to keep around. He had sold me to an old friend of his. He told me that I still had to keep my mantra, no matter what man it was."

Konan closed her eyes and turn slightly away from the girl, holding back tears.

"This man lived in the woods, secluded from civilization even more so than my father and I had been. He didn't beat me as often as my father had, but he was much stronger. He was a retired shinobi. Dishonorably discharged. Where my father had beaten me daily, this man would sometimes want to practice an old jutsu of his on me, just to see if he could remember it."

"I was with him for two years before the inevitable happened. I got pregnant again. Since I had been pregnant once before, I was able to tell what it looked like and the different symptoms that went along with it. When I told him, he snapped. Said that my father had been right. I was an irresponsible little whore that needed to learn my place. He then proceeded to beat me. He took special notice of my abdomen, hitting and kicking it with so much power, that I knew he was forcing me to miscarry. I tried to protect my child this time, but I had no training. I was no match for a former shinobi."

"When he was done with my beating, I was bleeding profusely. I couldn't move, could barely breath. When he checked my pulse, it was so weak he cursed, thinking I was dead. Without a moment's hesitation, he picked me up and threw me into the rapids near his home. He didn't know that by doing that, he actually saved my life. While in the white water, I was able to heal myself. Unfortunately, my baby didn't survive."

"Those rapids had eventually let out into the ocean, where I drifted for a day or two. When I finally washed ashore, I was far away from my place of birth. In that short amount of time at sea, I had managed to get all the way from the Land of Water to the Land of Fire. I wandered around the forests in that new country for one year, living off the land. I was finally free."

"If you were free," interjected Pein, "how is it that you became a Konoha shinobi?"

"One of their ANBU cells found me. After a few incidences, I was asked some questions, then was offered a chance to become a shinobi there. They gave me a new life."

Pein nodded, "That will be all for today. Deidara," the bomber looked up, "you will continue taking care of Kira while she is with us, is that understood?"

"Hai, hai," he muttered. Pein looked to Konan, "Konan, return the girl to her cell."

"Of course, Leader-sama," she bowed before going to comply.

Deidara walked with Konan and Kira back to the cell while the rest of the group went their separate ways. Once she was in her cell, Konan left. Deidara shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"Sorry about what happened to you, yeah," he muttered.

Kira nodded, slightly uncomfortable now that he knew what had happened.

"I'll be back later with some food, yeah," he said. He left and Kira sat on her cot. A moment later, she put her head in her hands and let a few silent tears fall.

**That's the end of Kira's backstory! Sorry about it being so gruesome :/ What do you think? Please read and review!**


	14. Chapter 13: Hidan and Deidara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 13: Hidan and Deidara**

_**(Two Weeks Later)**_

"Hey, I brought lunch, yeah. Hope you like fish," Deidara said as he walked into Kira's cell. She inclined her head in his direction and nodded.

"Still giving me the silent treatment, huh? I've heard you talk before so I know you're not mute, yeah," Kira didn't respond and just took the plate from his hands, "Eh, whatever. You'll talk to me eventually, yeah."

Kira took a bite of the fish. After telling the Akatsuki about her past, she hadn't said a word. That still didn't stop Deidara from coming into her cell randomly to discuss whatever was on his mind at the time. Usually something to do with his art or 'that damned Uchiha bastard,' as he liked referring to Itachi. Today was no different. After she had started eating, he sat on the only chair in her room backwards. He folded his arms over the back of the chair, rested his head on them, and just watched her. He had brought the chair in there a little over a week ago. Kept saying that since he was there all the time anyway, that he didn't feel like standing. Though he couldn't provide a plausible excuse for the blanket and pillow he had brought her. He had just shrugged at her confusion when he had put them on her cot and looked away with a slight blush.

As she finished her meal, he started telling her about his past missions with Akatsuki and an old partner named Sasori, "We argued all the time about our art. It was great, yeah. Debating over the different forms of art and how they are used in day to day life really gets you thinking about how some seemingly insignificant factor in your life could be perceived as art. Such as lightning or sunsets. For you, it'd probably have to do with sound, so a kid laughing or birds singing, yeah. All of it changes constantly or only lasts for an instant, then it's gone. That's real art, yeah."

He continued talking about Sasori for hours. He came to their final mission together, the one where Sasori had died. When Kira heard the names of a few Konoha shinobi, she was somewhat amazed. She hadn't known about that mission at all. All she had been told was that Naruto was friends with the Kazekage and had a hand in saving his life. Hearing the full details from the opposing side was quite interesting.

At about noon, Deidara left with the dishes and said he'd come back in a while with lunch. Kira laid out on her cot and let her mind wander. She thought a bit about her past, but mostly about Konoha and the people she had grown to know there. She wondered if they missed her, or if they even noticed her absence. Hinata probably informed the Hokage of what had happened. Kira hoped that she hadn't been too injured in the ambush. She was sure that her team would want to look for her. Shizune too. Maybe even Inoichi. As she thought, she realized that they had all become friends of sorts. Though they didn't really know her, her team looked out for her. And despite knowing her, Shizune and Inoichi had stayed by her. They were her new friends and family.

Slowly her thoughts turned to Deidara. He was certainly unique. He treated her well. Better then she would have ever believed possible from a man, and a criminal on top of that. He was funny, strong, intriguing. Much smarter then he tried to let on, she could tell. And there was something about the way he looked at her. Something slightly off about his features and the way his heart would pulse when he was near her or looked at her. She just couldn't place it.

Kira rolled to her side. Then at the edges of her awareness, she felt a figure approaching. She sat up on her cot and turned her head towards the door. She hadn't seen him in about two weeks after he had stormed out of the room.

The door creaked open a moment later and Hidan walked in. He closed the door and leaned on it, arms folded, and stared at her for a few minutes, making an uneasy feeling creep through her. After eyeing her for a while, a smirk appeared on his features.

"That damn Pein and his partner are on a mission right now gathering some fuckin information from an informant. The bastard won't be back for a few days. Which means," Hidan shrugged off the door and started to slowly walk over to Kira, still sitting on her cot, "that the only thing stopping me from having some fuckin fun is the transvestite upstairs. And he won't be back here for a while," Hidan's smirk turned into a sneer, "I've waited two damn weeks for this! First the leader of this group of heathens won't let me enjoy myself, then some bitch basically tells me my cock is small!"

Hidan looked down at Kira as he stood next to her bed. His voice came out low and menacing, "Well I'll show you exactly how small I fuckin am. And you don't have to keep your full mantra. I like it when I hear the bitches scream."

Kira's eyes went wide with realization. He had waited for his boss to leave so he could have clear access to rape her. "_You will not scream. You will not cry. You will not struggle," _came her father's voice from her memories. Kira went completely still, huddled at the head of her bed where it connected with the wall.

"_I can't do anything," _Kira thought, starting to brace herself, _"It's happening again and I can't do anything."_

Kira heard a creak and focused her senses. Hidan was climbing towards her from the foot of the bed slowly. He was naked, having discarded his cloak on the floor.

As he got closer, Kira started to tremble more and more. _"You will not scream. You will not cry. You will not struggle. You will not scream. You will not cry. You will not-" ""The only person you have to take orders from is me and your team captain when you go on missions. No one else can force you to do something against your will," _came Tsunade's voice, breaking through Kira's consciousness,_ "That includes striking you. If someone tries to hurt you, you have the right to defend yourself to the fullest. Do you understand?"_

Kira's eyes snapped open and her head jerked up. She wasn't her father's slave anymore. She was a shinobi of Konoha. She had been given an order to defend herself. And she wasn't about to disobey that order.

Kira moved further back against the wall, away from the immortal stalking slowly up her bed. His features were twisted into a sadistic grin. That's when Kira had an idea. It was worth trying.

She focused on Hidan intensely, concentrating on the flow of blood in his veins. She had used a similar technique to save Shino and Hinata. Why not use it to save herself this time? She pushed against the blood vessels slightly and they stopped their forward movement, while having them continue to run through his veins.

Hidan's body froze against his will, "What the hell!? What in the name of Jashin just fuckin happened? Bitch! What did you fuckin do to me!?" he screamed.

Kira remained in her spot, unable to move, considering when she had stopped his movements, he had been practically straddling her. And she had to concentrate so much just to keep him from moving, Kira didn't think she had enough control over this new ability to get him to move to her will.

And so she sat there, shaking while Hidan screamed a string of curses, trying not to let her concentration break.

After about an hour, the door hinges creaked again. A second later, a crash was heard along with a "What the? What the heck do you think you're doing you bastard, yeah!?"

Kira's concentration broke right as Deidara's fist connected with Hidan's chin. Kira slumped down, the stress leaving her body. For the first time, she had been able to stand up to a man. For the first time, she had fought back. For the first time, someone had come to her rescue. She was safe.

Deidara glared at Hidan on the floor as the immortal rubbed his chin. "What the fuck man! The bitch was the one using some freaky jutsu on me! I couldn't fucking move an inch for a fucking hour!"

"And what were you doing over her naked in the first place you sick bastard?" Deidara asked, venom coating his every word.

Hidan scoffed, "What do you think, you pussy? I was going to play a fucking game with her."

Deidara seethed, "You only get one chance, yeah. Leave. Now. If you don't I swear that after I'm done blowing up your ass, no one will be able to find more then ash left behind."

Hidan 'tsked' and grabbed his cloak off the floor, "The bitch isn't worth my time. I'll go fuck some whores in the next town over. At least then I can sacrifice them to Jashin-sama afterwards."

With that, Hidan stalked out of the room, leaving Deidara and Kira behind.

Deidara sighed and rubbed the back of his head in agitation. He glanced at Kira, still glued to her spot on her cot, "You ok, yeah?"

Kira hesitantly nodded her head. Deidara copied the gesture and let out a deep breath. "I'll make sure he's out of the compound, then get you some more soup, yeah," he gestured to the floor where a bowl had been broken into dozens of pieces, "As you can tell, the first bowl is no longer edible, yeah."

Deidara cleaned up the mess and turned to look at the still silent Kira. Deidara hesitated slightly before turning to the door.

"Thank you," came a small whisper.

Deidara looked over his shoulder, "Told you you'd eventually talk to me, yeah," he paused a moment before adding, "And you're welcome." He threw a small smile at her then left to get more food.

**…**

By the time Deidara returned with the new bowl, Kira had calmed down and had come to a decision after a lengthy internal debate with herself. She was going to trust this man. He had been the first one that she felt secure enough with to fully confide in. Inoichi had been kind in his own way, but that was different. She could be around Inoichi and not worry about his actions, but she still couldn't speak her mind around him. She always had a slight guard up. One that she was about to attempt to let down. But first she needed to know one thing, just one bit of information, before she would let go.

Deidara handed her the bowl of soup and went over to his chair, sitting on it backwards as usual. Kira took a sip of the broth before taking a shaky breath. Placing the spoon back in the bowl and the bowl onto the cot, she turned her head in his direction.

"Deidara-sama? I know that this is out of line, but may I ask a question?" she said in a soft voice.

"She speaks, yeah!" he grinned teasingly at her, "I've been trying to get you to talk to me for weeks now, yeah. Ask away."

Kira nodded and took another breath, "Why have you been so kind to me?"

Kira 'saw' Deidara's heart skip a beat as he turned his head away from her.

"No reason, yeah," he replied.

Kira shook her head, feeling oddly bolder than usual, "That's not true. Forgive me for being so curious, but none of the others showed me even a hint of compassion. What makes you different?"

Deidara turned sideways in his chair and ran a hand through his hair nervously. After a heavy sigh, he glanced in Kira's direction, "You remind me of someone I once knew and cared about, yeah."

Kira tilted her head slightly, "What happened?"

Deidara looked down at his hands a moment before balling them into fists, "She was killed about ten years ago."

Kira paused briefly, waiting for him to elaborate. When he stayed silent she asked, "Who was she?"

Deidara looked up at her fully. After staring at her for a while he replied softly, a pained expression filling his face.

"My sister, yeah."

**Deidara's turn for a backstory! Now we can see why he is the way he is :) Please Read and Review!**


	15. Chapter 14: Deidara's Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 14: Deidara's Past**

Kira's eyes widened a fraction, "Your sister?" she whispered, "How did it happen?"

Deidara looked away again, "You don't need to know, yeah. Just eat your food."

Kira's eyebrows creased in agitation, "I may not need to know, but I want to know. Please."

"And why should I tell you, yeah? It won't do any good."

Kira paused a moment, "I want to know more about you. More about your past and why you are the way you are. For some reason, I feel like I can trust you," Kira said softly as she looked away from him, "I want you to trust me too."

Deidara was silent and Kira started to regret ever speaking. Maybe she had been wrong to try and speak with him. Maybe he would leave. Maybe-

"Her name was Katsuya."

Kira inclined her head in his direction quickly. He was going to tell her?

Deidara sighed and stood up, walking over to her cot. He gestured to it and she gave a nod, scooting over to give him room. He sat down heavily and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was ten at the time, she was fourteen. We both held the family kekkei genkai," he held up his hands, having the mouths there wag their tongues, "and we were both considered prodigies, yeah."

Deidara stared blankly ahead and smiled wistfully, "I was a chunin then, but I hated conflict with a passion. Instead, I would use my abilities to make fireworks, usually in the shape of butterflies or birds, yeah. Katsuya, on the other hand, loved to fight. Said that the explosions and destruction it caused was art. She always said 'Art was a bang.' I thought she was wrong, that art was the look of awe on people's faces when they saw my fireworks, yeah," Deidara chuckled lightly, then glanced at Kira again.

"You look almost exactly like her, yeah. Except your eyes. That's the only feature that she and I shared. We both had bright blue eyes. Other than that, we were opposites, yeah. She was tall, I was short. I was blonde, she had blue-black hair. I liked making fireworks, she liked causing destruction. People used to ask if maybe our genders had been switched since I was a soft-hearted boy and she was a fierce girl, yeah."

Kira nodded, _"Explains why he was more sensitive to being called a girl by Hidan."_

Deidara sighed again, "Katsuya was already an ANBU, so I'd be left alone for periods of time. Our parents had both died soon after I had turned six, so she took care of me, yeah. She was the only family I had left, and I loved and trusted her more than anyone."

Deidara smiled sadly and leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees, "One night, a few days after Katsuya returned from a mission, she woke me up. Told me I needed to hide, yeah. She took me by the arm and dragged me to the cellar and pushed me in. She locked the door above me and spoke to me through the slats, yeah." He paused again before continuing.

"She said that some people from her last mission had followed her home. She told me not to make a sound or come out for any reason, no matter what I heard, yeah. She said she loved me, then left before I could say a word or ask her anything more," Deidara clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists to where they popped from the force. Kira sensed his heart speeding up from the memories.

"After a long struggle, it was quiet, yeah. I waited a while for her to come get me, to tell me that everything was ok again, but she never came. I started banging on the door and calling her name, not caring if the enemy heard me. When I received no answer, I took some clay and blew off the door, yeah."

He squeezed his eyes shut, emotions and memories from the past flooding him again, as fresh as they were when it had happened, "I found her," he said in a choked whisper, "She had been fatally wounded, yeah. Before she had died, she had left a message for me. One word was spelled in her blood next to her. 'Uchiha.'"

Kira's eyes widened a bit. She had thought that Deidara's hatred for the Uchiha had been because Itachi had forced him into joining Akatsuki against his will, using his own art against him. In all the times Deidara had insulted the man in his rants, she never would have guessed that something like that had happened.

Deidara looked at her and guessed her thoughts, "It wasn't Itachi, yeah. It was another group from his clan. Happened right before the bastard wiped them all out, yeah." Kira nodded and he continued.

"I went to the Tsuchikage right after that, determined to go after them. When I told him what happened, all he said was that it was the risk of the job that had finally caught up with her. That she had done her duty and I should be proud of her, yeah. He didn't want me going after them and said that I should just let it go," Deidara's voice cracked a bit and laughed humorlessly, "He didn't want to risk losing the last holder of my family's kekkei genkai, yet he refused to send anyone after Katsuya's killers," Deidara said through clenched teeth. He paused again and took a breath to compose himself.

"So I left, yeah. Defected from my village and became a bomber for hire before I was forced into Akatsuki. I took on my sister's view of art and dedicated every explosion to her. 'Art is a bang, Katsu.'"

He looked up at Kira and saw a single tear running down the stoic girl's cheek. He reached his hand over and wiped it off, noticing that she didn't flinch when he touched her.

He gave another sad smile and got up. Taking one more look at her, he left the room, leaving Kira alone to process his story.

**Kinda short, but there's chapter fourteen! How do you like Deidara's backstory? Not such a crazy bomber in retrospect now, huh? Let me know what you think :D Please read and review!**


	16. Chapter 15: Escape

**Sorry about the later updates, but with school starting up, I'll only be able to get these chapters out about every other week instead of every week like I've been doing :/ I'm sorry! v.v **

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 15: Escape**

The soup was long since forgotten. Cold. Just like how Kira felt. This was the second time someone had told her that she had reminded them of a dead loved one. First her father had said that she looked like her mother. That had ended in violence. But just like with everything else, Deidara was different. He responded with a kind protectiveness. He treated her like the sister he had lost. The sister that she reminded him of.

Kira was so deep into her thoughts, that when the door to her cell creaked open, she instantly tensed.

"It's just me, yeah," Deidara said, seeing her stiff form. She relaxed instantly upon hearing his voice, then quirked an eyebrow. Why was he here? Supper had past while he had been telling his story, and in all honesty, she had forgotten about eating.

Then she noticed. He had two travel packs and her weapons pouch.

"I'm getting you out of here, yeah," he said in explanation as he tossed her her pouch. She caught it and strapped it on, then stood to face him.

"Why?" she asked, emotion absent from her face and voice as usual.

"Two reasons, yeah. One, I don't want you forced into the Akatsuki like I was," he said as he started out the door. Kira followed him close behind, slipping on the pack and keeping her senses open to detect if anyone was ahead of them.

"And the second reason?" she asked in a whisper.

Deidara glanced over his shoulder, "If you don't join, you'll be killed, yeah. I know you aren't Katsuya, but I can't help thinking of you as my sister. I couldn't watch my sister get killed a second time while I do nothing, yeah."

Kira nodded in understanding, "And how exactly are we able to escape right now?"

Kira could hear the smirk in his voice as he replied, "Pein and Konan are off gathering information. Zetsu is who knows where, doing who knows what. Hidan left to vent his frustrations from earlier."

Kira internally shivered at the thought, "And the other two?" she asked.

"Uchiha and fish-boy are going on a mission tomorrow morning, so they're likely asleep right now, yeah."

Satisfied with the answer, Kira followed Deidara quietly though the maze of passages that led to the surface. After about fifteen minutes of twisting, uphill walking, they exited through the cave's opening. They walked out into the field and stopped at the tree line.

Kira took a deep breath. The liberating feeling of fresh air lasted only a second before Kira froze and spun around. Deidara turned to see what happened. He didn't see anything out of place, and was about to ask Kira what was wrong when he heard the rustle of leaves alerting him to someone's approach. He whipped his head around in the direction of the noise. Uchiha Itachi was standing at the edge of the clearing near the mouth of the cave, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Deidara got into fighting position and was about to plunge his hands into his side pouches for some clay. Before anything could happen though, Itachi turned his back on them.

"Leader-sama and Konan-san won't be returning for two more days and Kisame and I have a mission tomorrow that I need to prepare for," came Itachi's calm, even voice, "Deidara," Itachi looked back over his shoulder at the man, "I trust you will keep a close eye on our prisoner. Don't leave her side."

And with that, Itachi walked to the cave and disappeared into its depths.

"What just happened?" asked Kira, slightly shaken from the exchange with her father's look-alike.

"Don't know, yeah, but let's go before he changes his mind."

Deidara took out some clay and started letting his hand-mouths mold it. A few seconds later, a poof was heard and he and Kira made their escape on a giant clay bird.

**…**

"So there's a few things that I've been curious about, yeah," Deidara said after a couple hours of comfortable silence.

"Ok?"

"Well, you seemed to be more afraid of Itachi then of anyone else. That, and you called him 'father' when you first met him, yeah."

Kira nodded in affirmation, "His build and features are almost identical to my father's. The way he carries himself is the same, too. Even their names are similar."

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "What's your dad's name?"

"Itarou."

Deidara though a moment, "So then Kisame calling him 'Ita-chan' didn't help any, yeah."

Kira nodded and it was silent for a while. "You said a few things. That was one. What else?"

A look passed over Deidara's face, like he was debating on how to ask. Hesitantly, he asked, "What happened with Hidan? You know, other than the obvious, yeah."

Kira thought over her answer carefully before responding, "Do you remember what I said about my kekkei genkai?"

"Yeah, you move water with your mind and it helps you to see everything," Deidara's cheeks tinged a light pink before he coughed slightly in embarrassment, "But you didn't have any water with you, yeah."

"Correct. But I did have something similar. A while back, I used a similar technique to save some of my comrades from dying."

"Ok, what kind of technique, yeah?"

Kira spread her senses as they flew over the land below them. When she found what she needed, she pointed slightly to their right, "About half a mile in that direction is a river. Land there and I'll show you."

Deidara shrugged and did as she asked. When they landed, they both jumped off the bird and he followed her to the water's edge.

"Watch the water closely," Kira said.

She concentrated on the flow of the water as it raced past them. Slowly she started pushing each drop against the current, slowing it until it became stagnant. Deidara's eyes widened upon seeing the river stop, "That's pretty neat and all, but how is stopping a river the same as what happened with Hidan, yeah?"

Kira let the river go and turned her head in Deidara's direction, "Imagine the river as his blood," she said simply.

Deidara's mouth dropped open, "You stopped his blood!?" he practically yelled in awe.

"Something like that. I pushed against it to stop his movements, but had the blood still circulating in his veins so he wouldn't die."

Deidara scoffed, "Two things wrong with that statement. One, I'm surprised you were worried about killing a guy trying to rape you. And two, there's a reason Kisame called him a zombie. Hidan's immortal. You couldn't kill him if you tried."

Kira nodded, "I'll keep that in mind." Deidara smirked.

"So, can you show me how it works with something other than the river?" he asked.

"Like what?"

Deidara gestured to the water again, "How about some fish? I'm getting hungry, yeah."

Kira concentrated again on the water and focused on what was below the surface. Finding the fish was easy enough. They were fairly abundant at this location. She found a larger fish and pulled on its blood vessels, having it rise to the water's surface and above.

"Well this gives new meaning to the term flying fish, yeah," Deidara mumbled as three more fish followed the first in its journey through the air and onto dry land.

Deidara looked at Kira with respect, "All you need to do is train that ability and you'll be unstoppable, yeah!" Kira's lips twitched upwards slightly.

"Wait. Did the ever stoic Kira just almost smile? The world must be ending, yeah," Deidara said, smiling teasingly at her.

Kira looked in his direction blankly, then raised her hand towards him.

"What are you- Hey!" Deidara yelled as he started levitating, "Kira, put me down! I was joking, yeah!" Deidara dropped to the ground with an 'oomph.'

"So was I," came her reply as she turned and started walking into the surrounding forest.

Deidara blinked, then smiled, _"So she has a sense of humor, huh?"_

He quickly got up and grabbed the fish, then ran to catch up with this strange girl who was quickly becoming his closest friend.

**Yay for Itachi letting them go! If you wonder why this happened, read the manga. He's not as bad as he seems! That, and he had no direct order from Pein telling him to stop them. Deidara was the one that was supposed to watch Kira, not him. So yay for loopholes! :D Any thoughts? Please Read and Review!**


	17. Chapter 16: Deidara's Choice

**Hey guys, unfortunately I won't be able to update as regularly for a little while. The chapters will still be coming, just at a slightly slower rate... between school and writer's block, they just aren't coming to me as quickly. I know where I want the story to go, it's just the proccess of getting there. Now, enough of my mini rant/apology...on to the story!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 16: Deidara's Choice**

A light snore filled the air of their temporary campsite as Deidara levitated unawares in his sleep. It was a little after six in the morning and Kira's shift was almost over. In order to stay awake, she decided to use the sleeping Deidara to practice her newest ability, as she had been for the last few nights. Keeping him in place about a foot off the ground had become easier over the past few days and didn't take as much concentration. She slowly started having him raise and lower his arms in time with the gentle snoring.

A few minutes later, Kira noticed his breathing pattern change, indicating that he was about to wake up. She lowered him the twelve inches just as he started to open his eyes.

"Morning, yeah," he mumbled with a yawn. He stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "I take it that nothing happened last night?"

Kira turned her head to hide her lips twitching upwards and nodded. They began gathering their things and got ready for more walking.

They had left the Akatsuki hideout about five days ago. Yesterday, they had entered Fire Country, so they had resorted to walking and running instead of flying in order to avoid unwanted attention. At the moment, they were only a day's journey from Konoha, and Kira couldn't wait to get to her home.

Over the course of the trip, Kira had started talking to Deidara more and more. He had insisted that she stop addressing him as 'Deidara-sama' and just use his name. It took a while for her to get used to it, but she tried to comply with his request.

She started telling him about the people that she was closest to, where she lived, and some of the missions that she had gone on in the past year. Deidara asked questions and listened mostly, considering that he had been talking to her practically non-stop the past few weeks while she was a captive.

As they were leaping from tree branch to tree branch, Kira noticed Deidara's heart speed up and sweat forming more and more as they got closer to Konoha. Obviously uncomfortable being so close to the hidden village.

"Deidara, I never asked you, but what are you planning on doing after I've returned?"

He shrugged, "I guess I'll leave you about a mile outside the village, then wander around the world, yeah."

Kira stopped suddenly and turned to him, "You're leaving?" He stopped on the branch in front of her and nodded.

"Why don't you stay with me? I'll get my own apartment and you could stop running."

Deidara gave her a look, "You know I can't do that Kira, yeah. I'm a wanted criminal in every country. Konoha's allies want me dead. Especially Suna. Your Hokage would never go for it, yeah."

Kira shook her head quickly in denial, "We'll talk with her. I'm sure we can figure something out."

"I'll be dead before I can get through the gates, yeah. There won't be any talking."

"I'll protect you!" Kira yelled, showing a flash of anger and desperation on her face, "I'll make sure no one touches you! There won't be any bloodshed."

"And how do you suggest doing that, yeah?" he asked, feeling exasperated.

"I've been working on controlling people. I'll stop anyone about to attack."

"How have you been practicing? We haven't seen anyone since the Uchiha!"

Kira rubbed the back of her neck and turned slightly away from him mumbling, "I sort of used you while you were asleep…"

"You what!?" Deidara yelled surprised. Kira just shrugged. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Fine, whatever, yeah. But that doesn't mean that after this 'talk' I'll be able to live there."

"Then I'll make sure to escort you out of the village a safe distance away so you can leave with no problems," Kira said, grabbing at the small give in his argument, "It can't hurt Deidara. Right now, everyone is looking for you. Not just the countries, but Akatsuki now too. You saved me from them at the risk of your life. Let me try to get you a new one. Please."

Deidara sighed. He was starting to regret getting her to talk with him. She had some hard-to-argue-with logic.

"Fine," he said after a minute, "If you think you're up to it. But what about you?" Kira cocked her head to the side, confused, "What if they suspect you of betrayal and want you dead or exiled?"

"Then I'll go with you," Kira said, without a moment's hesitation.

Deidara pursed his lips, then nodded, "Alright then, yeah. I'll try to stay."

Kira breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. They both started jumping again in the direction of the village. They stayed relatively silent as they got closer, only speaking to formulate a guideline plan of action. Or in Deidara's case, lack of action. There would be no fighting.

At around four in the afternoon, the gates became visible and the two of them dropped to the ground. Deidara looked over at Kira, took a breath to calm his nerves, and nodded. She returned the gesture and they both started walking to the gates, Kira in the lead.

Izumo and Kotetsu looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and jumped out of their seats, "Sakurai-san! Your alive!" they yelled in astonishment, "We thought the Akatsuki had killed you or-" Izumo stopped midsentence upon looking behind her, "You!"

Before Kira could speak, Kotetsu had sounded an alarm and Izumo got into a defensive position. In seconds, the two of them were surrounded by over a hundred armed shinobi.

"Well," Deidara said quietly to where only Kira heard, "this is quite the welcome, yeah."

**There's chapter 16! Sorry it's a bit shorter, but I hope you'll still enjoy it :) What will Kira do? What will the Hokage say? Why do I insist on leaving cliffhangers? :D Please Read and Review!**


	18. Chapter 17: Entering Konoha

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 17: Entering Konoha**

"We wish to speak to the Hokage," Kira said to the defensive shinobi.

"Sakurai-san," Izumo said, "We have him surrounded, he can't pull anything. Come over here so we can protect you."

"I don't need your protection," she stated, inclining her head in his direction, "I'm staying here so that you won't attack him until we can speak with Tsunade-sama."

"Traitor!" came a voice from the crowd, "You'll side with a criminal instead of your village?" Shouts of agreement followed the statement.

"I am no traitor. I'm only ensuring that no one comes to any harm on either side," she replied coolly.

"Attack the Akatsuki before he destroys our village!" came another voice in the back of the group. Instead of shouts of agreement, a barrage of kunai followed the statement.

Kira lifted her hand slightly upwards in the direction of the oncoming weapons. The hundreds of pieces of metal started to crystalize as they gathered the moisture in the air. One by one, they dropped from the sky to land uselessly, frozen at her feet.

"As I said, we merely want safe passage to speak with the Hokage. I will make sure you do not harm either of us and that he won't harm any of you. If anyone tries to do otherwise, I will stop them. There will be no bloodshed."

"And how exactly do you intend to stop anyone with no bloodshed?" came Shikamaru's voice as he stepped to the front of the crowd.

"She learned a few tricks when she escaped from Akatsuki, yeah," Deidara said, smirking.

Everyone at the gates tensed upon hearing his voice. Deidara held up his hands in a placating gesture. It didn't help that the mouths there decided to stick their tongues out at that moment.

"Monster!" cried a younger chunin as he charged forward. The others attempted to stop him, but it was too late. Deidara started to go on the defensive, but Kira shook her head. He relaxed and let her do her thing. As the chunin got closer, Kira lifted her hand in his direction. The moment she did, he froze in place two feet away from her, kunai raised.

"What? I can't move!" he yelled, panicking.

"I said, no one will come to any harm," Kira said. She slowly had the boy turn around and then moved his legs so he walked back to the group against his will.

"What the heck! I'm not doing this!"

"So that's what you meant Kira-san," Shikamaru said, watching every movement with a critical eye, "You found a new part to your kekkei genkai."

Kira moved her head in his direction and gave a small nod. She didn't miss the bomber behind her quietly mumbling and had to stop her lips from twitching upwards, "Yeah, and apparently she had a lot of practice using me as her puppet. Sasori-dana would have loved that…"

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, not hearing the other ninja's utterings. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "Come on, I'll take you to see the Hokage." Shouts of protest were heard loudly from the ever growing mass of shinobi filing to the gates. Shikamaru turned to them, "Hey, if they wanted to start trouble, they could have easily leveled the whole village by now. We'll all follow them to the Hokage's building, then jounin level personnel will follow them to the office where ANBU will be standing by," Shikamaru turned to Kira, "Sound fair?"

Kira nodded, "We will not cause trouble and do as you said. But no one is to attack us."

Shikamaru nodded, then turned to walk through the throngs of people. They all made a path for the lazy genius. Kira walked forward, followed closely by Deidara who was eyeing every person along the way.

As they traveled through the streets of Konoha, the group picked up more and more shinobi. Some of the jounin stayed at the gates in case of an ambush. Halfway to the tower, Kira felt a familiar presence in her awareness and stopped. Hinata pushed through the crowds and a look of relief passed over her face when she spotted Kira. The kunoichi ran forward and hugged her friend, catching Kira off guard. Hesitantly, she returned the girl's hug.

"I'm so glad you're ok Kira-chan," Hinata whispered into her ear. She pulled back, then noticed Deidara staring at her from behind Kira. Hinata stiffened and began looking back and forth between the two of them.

"I'll explain later Hinata-san," Kira said, "You can come with us to see the Hokage. This may concern you as well." Hinata nodded speechless, and the whole group continued on.

When they reached the tower, the genin and chunin waited outside while the rest filed in. Standing in front of the office, Shikamaru told them all to wait outside while he went in to inform Tsunade of what was going on. A moment later, he came back out and motioned for them to enter. As she past him, Shikamaru whispered 'Good luck.' to Kira. She nodded and went in, followed by Deidara, Hinata, and four ANBU members that went to stand by each wall.

Kira faced the Hokage. She was currently sitting at her desk, rubbing her forehead.

"Sakurai Kira, do you have any idea what you have done?" Tsunade asked as she looked up at the girl.

"I escaped the Akatsuki hideout with the help of Deidara-san and returned to my village," Kira said in a nonchalant manner.

Tsunade heaved a frustrated sigh, "And you brought a criminal that is wanted dead or alive in every country across the globe with you. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he saved my life at the risk of his own. He deserves to have a new chance at life. Just like the one you gave me a year ago."

"Kira-"

"Before you ask another question, Hokage-sama, could you tell Naruto-sama to come out of hiding? I don't mind if he listens, but I would prefer if it wasn't while he was in the ceiling."

Tsunade's eye twitched, "Naruto! Get your eavesdropping butt down here this instant!"

Naruto opened one of the ceiling tiles and dropped down, crossing his arms and glaring at the bomber standing in the middle of the room. He focused his angered gaze onto the Sanin.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, you can't seriously think that having him here's a good thing!" Naruto yelled, "He killed Gaara! He and his friends have been trying to kill me for years!"

"Hey now, they aren't my friends, yeah," Deidara said. Naruto spun to face him, "Shut up! You don't get to talk!"

Deidara scoffed and folded his arms. Tsunade massaged her forehead, feeling her light headache quickly turning into a migraine, "Naruto, shut up," she said in a slightly irritated voice, "Since Kira said she didn't mind you here, you can stay, but I'll talk to you later about listening in on private meetings."

Naruto turned his head away from them, pouting, and started mumbling, "Sure, yell at me and not at the psychotic killer trying to kill me and take over the world. Stupid old hag."

Tsunade's eye twitched again, "What was that Naruto?"

"Oh nothing, nothing at all," he said, continuing to pout.

She sighed and turned her attention back to Kira.

"Now what were you going on about? You couldn't possibly be asking for me to let him stay."

"I am," Kira stated matter-of-factly, "Deidara-san never wanted to be in Akatsuki in the first place and as I said before, he helped me to escape."

"That doesn't change the fact that he's a criminal Kira!" Tsunade said.

"He became a criminal only to survive. The Akatsuki would have killed him otherwise. If you convict him, you might as well charge me as well for becoming their captive in the first place. There is no real difference."

Tsunade's eyebrows creased in thought, then she turned her sights to Deidara, "Well, are you going to say anything?"

He shrugged, "Kira's got it about covered, yeah. But I think sentencing her to any sort of punishment is going a bit too far."

The Hokage nodded absently, "And, hypothetically, what would you be willing to do if I were to say you could stay?"

Deidara's eyes widened slightly, "I haven't thought about it much. I'm surprised you're even considering it, yeah. Only reason I'm here in the first place and not flying off somewhere is cause Kira convinced me to give this a try, yeah."

"Don't misunderstand me," Tsunade said, glaring slightly, "I in no way trust you and said that this was a hypothetical situation. Now answer the question."

Deidara straightened slightly and looked fully at the Hokage, "Anything. I promised Kira I would try to stay and that's what I'll do, yeah."

Naruto whipped around, hands balled into fists, seething, "Baa-chan! Stop playing games! This bastard shouldn't be allowed in the country, let alone the village! He's probably just using Kira in order to infiltrate the village as a spy! Arrest him already!"

"I'd never use Kira like that, yeah!" Deidara said, glaring at Naruto.

"Stop," Tsunade said in a firm voice. She gave a look to Naruto and he clenched his teeth, but was otherwise silent. She looked at Deidara, "He does have a point though. I wouldn't put it past an Akatsuki member to use people like that."

"I'm not Akatsuki anymore, yeah. I left my cloak and ring behind."

"Yeah, and if you dye my hair, I won't be Naruto anymore," Naruto mumbled lightly.

Deidara looked pointedly at him, then turned to Tsunade again, "I have valuable information about the remaining members and their current locations, yeah. I'll tell you anything you want to know and more, even if you choose not to allow me to stay, yeah."

The Hokage raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? And why would you do that?"

"To prove that I'm telling the truth, yeah."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her forehead. Yep, it was a migraine now. She looked at the group before her and noticed someone in the back of the room, "Hinata, is there a reason you're here?"

The girl was quiet and looked back and forth between Kira and the Hokage, "Umm… I…uh…"

"I asked her to be here," Kira said, "She is my teammate and I want her to know what's going on."

Tsunade looked at the Hyuuga again, "Any thoughts you want to add to this…unusual situation?"

Hinata thought a moment, then looked at Kira, "I want to know what happened to you. You were gone for a little over a month."

Kira nodded and retold all that had happened, leaving out the part about her past. She didn't need to burden Hinata or Naruto with that. Deidara added some things here or there. Turns out that if they hadn't left when they did, Pein would have forced her to join when he returned. He had stated that Kira knew about pain and would be a great asset to his cause.

As the story went on, Naruto's hostile stance toward Deidara relaxed a bit. Hinata's eyes continued to widen though, especially when describing the torture and what had happened with Hidan. Tsunade was quiet the whole time, paying close attention to both the story and to the body language between Kira and the bomber. Where Kira was usually tense around men, no matter how familiar they were to her, she had never been as relaxed as she was at that moment with him.

When they had finished the recount, Tsunade looked at them, "So what exactly is your relationship with one another?"

They both raised an eyebrow at the question and Deidara shrugged a bit, "She's like my sister, yeah." Kira nodded in agreement.

Tsunade folded her hands and rested her chin on top of them, eyes closed, deep in thought. After about fifteen minutes of stifling silence, she opened her eyes again and heaved a sigh. "I really hope I don't regret this," she mumbled to herself.

"Deidara, formerly of Iwa and Akatsuki, if what you say is true, then there are certain conditions that must be met before I allow you to become a resident of Konoha." Deidara's eyes widened again, but he nodded dumbfoundedly. "First, you will give all information you have pertaining to the organization Akatsuki and its members. This includes yourself. I want a full background history. To insure that all the information we receive is accurate, I will have Inoichi search through your memories."

Deidara cringed slightly at the breach in privacy, but gestured for her to continue.

"Secondly, your chakra will be sealed at all times over the next year and you will remain in the village for that duration. Naturally, this means you will be handing over your clay and you will not be able to use genjutsu or ninjutsu. Taijutsu will only be used in consensual hand-to-hand sparring. No brawls or sneak attacks. The only exception is if someone attacks you first, but even then, you are not to cause them any real harm."

Tsunade paused to gage his reaction to the first two conditions. So far, he barely had any reaction at all.

"Finally," she said, "you are to be accompanied by a Konoha shinobi at all times. I will be assigning Kira to this task, since she is the one that requested your placement in the first place. She will be given new housing and a monthly allowance to cover living expenses for the next year. If she cannot be with you at any given time, then an ANBU member will be assigned to fill in."

The Hokage narrowed her eyes at the man, "Now, before you accept or decline these conditions, you need to know that if you cannot uphold them, if you betray us or disappear, Kira will be taking your place with the consequences."

Deidara looked from the Sanin to Kira and back. Hinata held her breath and Naruto narrowed his eyes, both waiting for his answer. Deidara returned his gaze to the Hokage.

"I will accept all your conditions Hokage-sama, yeah."

Tsunade nodded, scribbled something on a sheet of paper, and called Shizune in. When she arrived, Tsunade passed her a document with Kira's new living quarters and instructions to help get her settled in before the day's end. Deidara would come in the next morning at sunrise to give the information, have his memory searched, and for the chakra sealing.

They all bowed and filed out of the Hokage's office. Once they had all left and closed the door, Tsunade pulled out a much needed bottle of heaven. Or sake. Same thing.

Outside, Naruto walked up to the bomber, "I need to talk to you. Now." Naruto jerked his thumb in the direction of a small park. Deidara squared his shoulders and nodded. Before he took a step, though, Kira grabbed his arm. He looked down at her blank face, "Remember, no fighting," she said. He smirked a little and she let him go. He and Naruto walked off, leaving the girls behind.

"Do you think that this is going to be ok?" Shizune asked. Hinata shrugged unsurely while Kira just kept her senses on the distant exchange.

**…**

_**(With Naruto And Deidara)**_

"So what's this about, yeah."

Naruto turned to Deidara, "I could ask you the same thing. What are you playing at?"

Deidara crossed his arms, "I'm not playing at anything, yeah. It's just like what you heard in that office."

"I swear, if you're using Kira-chan just to get at me, I'll kill you."

"If I'm using Kira, I should be killed, yeah."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed to a suspicious glare, "Why would an Akatsuki member try to get out after years of being in the organization? Why now?"

Deidara sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "I didn't go in voluntarily, like Kira said, but I saw no reason to get out afterward either, yeah. It was steady pay and I was able to create my art as much as I wanted. I had no home, no family, where would I have gone?" he paused and glanced back in the girl's direction, "Kira gave me part of my family back and now she's trying to get me a home, yeah. Why wouldn't I take that chance?"

Naruto frowned and thought a bit, "When you said she was like your sister, what did you mean?"

Deidara smiled gently and looked at her again over his shoulder, "Exactly that, yeah. She looks so much like my sister it's uncanny. Personalities are a bit different, but nonetheless, it almost feels like I'm getting a second chance, yeah."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "A second chance at what?"

Deidara turned back to the shinobi in front of him, "To protect her, yeah."

It was Naruto's turn to sigh and rub the back of his head. He looked Deidara in the eyes, "I was serious when I said if you hurt or betray Kira-chan, I'd kill you."

Deidara nodded, "I hope you were, yeah."

Naruto smiled slightly and held out his hand, "Don't make us regret this."

Deidara looked at the hand, then smirked and shook it, "I don't plan on it, yeah."

**Chapter 17 and Deidara is now being integrated into the Konoha lifestyle :D I hope you liked it so far! Next chapter will have a six month time skip. Please Read and Review!**


	19. Chapter 18: Hidden Feelings

**Before starting the chapter, I wanna give a shout-out to my two most consistent reviewers! To **_**HalfwayParanoid**_** and **_**Kiteria**_**, thank you so much for the constant support! :D Now onto the story!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 18: Hidden Feelings**

_**(Six Months Later)**_

Following the arrival of Deidara into Konoha, the next six months practically flew by. After the dramatically powerful entrance, Kira was soon promoted to ANBU thanks to her newly acquired abilities. In the first four months, she was mainly trying to prefect her technique to where it became like second nature for her. Her hard work paid off, as she became captain of her current squad. At that moment, Kira was sitting in a small family owned tea shop with her team's second in command. They had already finished discussing new training regiments for their team and possible formations to use on upcoming missions. Now they were merely sipping their tea and enjoying the silence. That was another thing that Kira was able to achieve. She was slowly able to trust the men around her. This was mainly thanks to Deidara and her two male teammates.

Deidara had come to live with her in their own apartment in the middle of Konoha. There had always been at least one ANBU stationed outside their home since they moved in, but that was to be expected with a former missing-nin living within their walls. All the information he had given about the Akatsuki had been accurate, resulting in the elimination of Hidan…again…courtesy of team Asuma.

He had taken to having his chakra sealed fairly easily. Even without it, he was still a powerful shinobi. He had proven that the few times that some ninja was drunk or had an old vendetta against him and decided that they would take advantage of the restrictions. They survived, but Sakura still had to patch them up at the hospital.

Other than those few instances, some of the villagers were starting to get use to Deidara walking around with the stoic Kira. One friendship that Kira hadn't thought possible, though, was the one that was rapidly forming between Deidara and Naruto. After whatever had been said on that first day in the park, Naruto challenged Deidara to a Taijutsu only sparring match. After numerous abrasions and a few broken bones, the two men had became quite close.

Kira shook her head slightly at the thought.

"Is something wrong with your tea Sakurai-san?" came the quiet inquiry from her teammate.

"No Shino-san," Kira said, "I was just thinking."

Shino nodded in understanding.

A few minutes later, the two colleagues finished, paid, and started out of the establishment.

"Where is Deidara-san? Why? Because he is usually with you at all times."

Kira inclined her head in the bug master's direction and quirked an eyebrow. It was rare for him to speak much, even more-so when it was on a personal level.

"With the Hokage and Shizune-san for his weekly assessment."

"I see. So they still do not trust him even after a six month timespan."

Kira shook her head slightly, "Not necessarily. Originally, the assessments were to ensure mental stability and trustworthiness, but now I believe it's more about corroboration. Tsunade-sama has requested his help in simulating battle strategies against the remaining Akatsuki, while Shizune-san wanted him to help her strengthen her taijutsu skills."

Shino rose an eyebrow, "Speaking of strengthening skills, I was wondering how your current training is going. Why? Because I heard that the Hokage was about to start teaching you some medical jutsu."

Kira nodded, "She said I have an aptitude for it, so I thought that I could broaden my knowledge of the field."

Comfortable silence followed the comment as the partners walk toward Kira's home. Although she was more than capable of protecting herself, her teammates insisted on walking her home. It had surprised her at first, but she was slowly coming to the realization that her view on men was skewed from reality. While there were men out there like her father, there were just as many, even more, that were like her new comrades.

Once again, Shino broke the silence, bringing Kira out of her thoughts. She finally noticed that they had stopped and were standing in front of her apartment complex.

"I never did thank you," he remarked in an even tone.

Kira's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, "For what?"

"You saved mine and Hinata's lives. For that I am thankful."

Kira froze when she saw him bowing. No matter how far in realizing her flaws in gender roles was, she was still highly uncomfortable with having a male show such high respect for her.

"Please stop Shino-san. I am not one you should bow to," she said in a soft voice.

He straightened and tilted his head slightly in thought, "Since you refuse this form of thanks, perhaps I shall try something different."

Before Kira could question what he meant, Shino slightly pulled the edge of his collar down, leaned down, and left a small chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. Kira froze immediately at the contact, not knowing how to react. This was Shino, her ally, her friend. He wouldn't hurt her right? He wouldn't force her into anything would he?

After a moment, Kira noticed that once again, Shino was talking, "-as a thank you. Why? Because since it is already done, it cannot be undone."

Relief washed throughout Kira's system. It was still Shino. How could she think he would do something as despicable as what her father had done? No one in the village outside of the Hokage, Shizune, Inoichi, and Deidara even knew about her past. Shino would have no indication that what he had done would affect her in any way. It was just a thank you after all.

Shino nodded his goodbye and left, leaving Kira to walk into her home.

**…**

_**(Shino's POV)**_

"Please stop Shino-san. I am not one you should bow to," Kira said in a soft voice.

Straightening, Shino tilted his head in thought, _"Maybe now I could try that. Why? Because I may not receive another chance. That, and this may yield positive results."_

"Since you refuse this form of thanks, perhaps I shall try something different."

That said, Shino pulled down his collar and leaned in. The moment his lips touched the corner of her mouth, his heart sped up and he felt a heat rush to his cheeks. Pulling back quickly and replacing his collar back over his face, he noticed Kira's frozen form.

"_Ah, so the results are negative then," _he thought.

Over the past year and a half since he and Kiba had found this girl, he had watched her grow at a rapid pace. He had been strangely drawn to her ever since the fight with the missing Iwa nin. After that, despite her obvious fears, Kira had overcome so many obstacles. She climbed through the ranks and now surpassed him in just a short period of time. She was intelligent and could hold a decent conversation, yet she could easily sit in silence, a trait missing from most of the females, civilian and kunoichi alike. Her calm demeanor and strong opinions were contradictory aspects of hers that continued to draw him in.

But with this, he now knew that what she saw in him was not the same as what he saw in her. He was a comrade only. He had known that this was the most likely outcome, but the disappointment was there still. However, he had prepared for this and would bow out before she even knew he had been interested. It was for the best. This way, he could continue to be around her and give her the support she needed.

"I shall use this as a thank you. Why? Because since it is already done, it cannot be undone."

He saw her stiff form relax subtly. Not wanting to stay any longer than necessary, he nodded and left, leaving his behind his hidden feelings.

**…**

_**(Kira's POV)**_

Kira pushed open the door to her apartment. Normally she would have noticed every little detail in the room before she even entered, but with her mind still distracted from the previous events, she had been oblivious to the mess inside. The first thing that she was aware of was the strong smell of smoke coming from the kitchen.

Hesitantly she walked into the now-soot-filled room with Deidara standing in the middle. His hair was sticking up at odd angles and part of it was slightly singed on the ends. When he heard her approach, he spun around quickly and tensed, rubbing the back of his head in guilt.

"Deidara, what are you doing?" Kira asked monotonously.

"Making tempura, yeah," he replied, grinning as he gestured to a plate of food that smelled charred even from across the room.

"Why?" she asked hesitantly.

"Because it's your favorite, yeah."

"And why are you…attempting…to make my favorite meal?"

Deidara waved his hand dismissively and grinned again, "No reason at all. Can't a brother do something nice for his sister every once in a while, yeah?"

Kira felt a vein in her forehead twitch with aggravation at his obvious attempt to deviate from the question. She lifted her hand in his direction and he shot up, suspended in the air.

"Kira! Put me down, yeah!" Deidara yelled, still not use to the sensation of his blood being used to make him levitate.

"I need to practice the basics so I don't get rusty. Being my training partner is doing something nice," Kira's mouth twitched upwards slightly, "Plus, your former partner would be so proud. You're a living puppet."

"I'm sure that this is not what Sasori-dana had in mind, yeah," he mumbled, "Now put me down! I'm trying to discuss something important, yeah."

Kira rose an eyebrow, "As in, the reason behind the mini fireball in my kitchen?"

At Deidara's nod, she released her hold on him, allowing him to descend to the ground.

"What exactly happened anyway?" she asked, "It seems like something blew up in here."

Deidara gave a sheepish smile and shrugged.

Kira put her hands to her head and massaged her temples, "Even without clay and chakra, you still manage to make things explode," she said, slightly exasperated, "I swear, you could find a way to make even a bowl of cereal into a bomb."

Deidara perked up a bit, "Well, actually all you have to do is add in a little-"

Kira held up a hand quickly, "I don't want to know," she sighed and had her senses scan the room. Despite being a little well-done, the kitchen still seemed to be usable…as long as Deidara never tried to cook again. "So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" she asked, trying to get back to the topic at hand.

"Well, about that," Deidara paused and Kira could 'see' the blood rush to his face, "Um, let's talk in the other room, yeah."

Kira followed him, getting slightly suspicious from his obvious discomfort. Once in the living room, Deidara sat down on the couch and gestured to the seat next to him. Kira took it and inclined her head in his direction.

"You didn't violate any of your restrictions did you?" she asked, trying to guess the reason behind his odd behavior.

He shook his head and put his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his knees, "No, it's nothing like that, yeah."

Kira's eyebrows furrowed, "Then what is it?"

Deidara sighed and glanced in her direction, "I've kinda been hiding something from you, yeah. Nothing that would endanger the village," he quickly added, seeing her tense briefly. He sighed again, "I think I might be starting to like someone."

Seeing Kira's raised eyebrow he elaborated, "A girl."

Seeing the still-non-understanding look on her face, he huffed out, "Come on! I'm falling in love, yeah!"

Realization dawned on Kira's features as Deidara replaced his head in his hands, an embarrassed blush darkening his features.

After a few moments of silence, Kira asked, "So how does this relate to you nearly burning down my kitchen?"

Deidara slapped his forehead and sighed. This could take a while.

"I wanted to ask for advice," he said.

"…by destroying my home to make inedible food?"

"Forget the damn kitchen already, yeah!" Deidara yelled almost desperately, looking over to her. He took a breath to calm himself, "If it had turned out well, I was going to use that as incentive to get your help, yeah."

Kira rose an eyebrow, which seemed to be its permanent position at the moment, "And why couldn't you just ask normally?"

"Cause, I'm not sure if you'd even want to help," Deidara said.

"Well, what happened to make you think that you were…in love…with this girl?"

Deidara sighed and ran a hand through his mussed hair, "I've been around her for a while now, yeah. At first she was weary of me. Can't really blame her, considering the circumstances, yeah. But after a while, she started to open up a little," he glanced up to gage her reaction.

Kira nodded, "So what do you want me to do, exactly?"

"I don't know, yeah. Maybe some advice? Like, should I tell her or wait, yeah?"

"Do you talk with her a lot?"

Deidara nodded, "At first I was the only one that talked, yeah. But after a while, she would add comments here and there. She knows about my past, about Katsuya and Akatsuki and everything in between, and she still talks with me," Deidara took Kira's hand gently and stared at it as if it held all the answers, "What do you think I should do, yeah?"

"I'm not sure if I'm the best one to ask for advice," Kira said, not at all perturbed by the physical contact.

"But she's a kunoichi, and you know her really well, yeah. I don't know anyone else I could go to with this," he said as he looked into her unseeing eyes.

Kira deliberated in her mind for a moment, then focused back on the ex-Akatsuki holding her hand, "If this girl really seems open to the idea of spending time with you-"

"She is, yeah," Deidara interrupted, "We've been spending more time alone together recently."

Kira nodded, "Then maybe you should tell her. Or at least try to be alone more in open settings."

Deidara pursed his lips in thought, then smiled slightly and looked at her again, "Thanks Kira, yeah."

Deidara gave Kira a quick hug, the result being her stiff form. He chuckled lightly and released her, "You know you're going to have to get use to physical contact with guys at some point, yeah."

Kira shook her head, "One step at a time."

"_And considering how much physical contact I've received today, I'm about at my limit," _Kira thought, recalling the recent occurrence with Shino.

Deidara laughed again and got off the couch, heading towards his room.

"Deidara," Kira said, making him stop and turn to her. "You never did tell me who the girl was."

Deidara smiled mischievously and winked, "That, my dear Kira-chan, is for me to know and for you to find out, yeah."

**Ok, so a lot of you are probably wondering where in the world the Shino interaction came from. Well, in this story, it seems out of the blue, but when I originally wrote this in my mind, there had been a lot more scenes with Kira and her team (aka Shino, Kiba, and Hinata). So when I wrote this chapter, I felt compelled to put Shino in here.**

**And who do you think Deidara's in love with? Any guesses? Please read and review! Your reviews always make my day :D**


	20. Chapter 19: Proposal

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 19: Proposal**

_**(Six Months Later)**_

_**(Deidara's POV)**_

It had been six months since he had burned up Kira's kitchen. Five months since it had been cleaned and he got up the courage to confess, leading to the start of their relationship. One month since he made a decision. Two weeks since he bought the ring. Three days since he asked her out on this date. And finally, in about ten minutes, Deidara would either be engaged to his girl, or sorely dumped. He desperately hoped it would be the first.

When he had first asked her on a date, she didn't realize that that's what it was. She thought that they were going out as friends, which he let her continue to think during the duration of that night. On the second date, however, he made sure to voice his intentions. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. By the time he got her to speak again, the night was already about half over. Over the following five months, though, they had grown closer. They talked about everything and they trained almost daily, as long as she didn't have any missions at that time. Even then, those were usually within the village.

When news of their relationship got out, everyone seemed surprised. They hadn't seen it coming. Well, except maybe the Hokage. The old lady seemed to have figured out their attraction to one another even before they knew it themselves. Naruto, being one of the people closest to Deidara, had nearly choked on his ramen when he heard. It was then followed by a lot of spluttering and disbelief. After a short period of gossip-induced fame, the news about them going out finally died down and was just accepted among the villagers.

Deidara took a deep breath. Tonight, though, was a bit different. He had officially been in Konoha for one year today. His chakra was now released from the suppressors and he had his clay back in his pouches. Though one pouch at his side contain something more precious than his clay. The symbol that he hoped would be accepted by his girl, his love, declaring to the world that she was now, and would always be, his and his alone.

He smiled at the thought. He was currently walking to the training fields to meet with her. He wanted to take her flying on his first night of actual freedom. And he couldn't think of a better way to celebrate then with her on his art, hopefully saying yes to his question.

He nervously wiped his hands on his pants to dry them. He hadn't been that nervous since he first entered Konoha with Kira. He really did owe her a lot. If it wasn't for her, he never would have found this new life, never would have made the friends he now had, and he never would have realized his feelings for his dark haired kunoichi.

As he walked into the clearing, his heart sped up. She was leaning against a tree trunk and turned his way as he approached. The wind picked up pieces of her midnight hair, having the strands dance across her lips. She gave him a small smile that was illuminated by moonlight. Deidara gulped at the sight, trying not to blush.

"You're here," she said, "Almost thought you weren't going to show up."

Deidara rubbed the back of his head, "Got caught up in my thoughts, yeah. Sorry."

The girl shook her head and sighed, "So what is it you wanted to show me?"

Deidara stuck his hand into one of the pouches and pulled out some clay, "Feel like flying a bit, yeah?"

She smiled lightly, "As long as you don't try to make your art."

"It'll be art alright," he said as he made his clay bird, "but hopefully this one won't blow up on me, yeah."

She rose an eyebrow at him, but said nothing as she got onto his creation.

As they ascended into the night sky, Deidara watched as subtle emotions played across her features. Momentary panic from the liftoff, calm when they stabilized, and contentment when they reached the clouds. He watched as she closed her eyes as the cloud enveloped them, leaving a fine layer of mist on their skin. When they were on top of the clouds, they leveled off. The two shinobi sat on the bird for a while in complete silence, enjoying the view and serenity of the night.

Deidara continuously sent glances her way as his palms became sweaty again. He hated when they got sweaty. His kekkei genkai would try to 'help' to get rid of the extra moisture by licking…which only caused more moisture. He rubbed his hands on his pants again.

She turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "You know I can feel when you look at me right?" she said with a hint of a smile in her voice.

Deidara smirked, "You know I like watching you, yeah. I do it all the time."

"Yes," she conceded, "you do. But if you keep rubbing your hands like that, you'll get chapped lips."

Deidara smiled a bit, "Always the practical one, yeah."

She smirked, "So what's got you so nervous, Deidara?"

"Nervous? I'm not nervous, yeah," he stated, turning away slightly.

"Oh, really? So why are you sweating so much then?"

Deidara mumbled slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you?"

"I kind of need to talk to you about something, yeah."

"Is that why you brought me up here?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"And why did you have to bring me three hundred feet in the air to talk with me?" she asked.

Deidara smiled sheepishly at her, "I was hoping that this would make you more open to hearing me out, yeah."

She smirked a bit, "Why is this story starting to sound familiar?"

Deidara chuckled a bit nervously, "Just listen, yeah."

She nodded and faced him fully. Deidara ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, _Here we go, yeah, _he thought.

"We've only know each other for a little while, yeah. And I know there are things we don't know about each other, whether it's little stuff like if you like snow or not, or if there's some secret we haven't shared, yeah."

He saw her confused expression as she opened her mouth to interrupt. He held up a hand, "I'll get to the point in a second, yeah." She nodded again and waited for him to continue.

"Anyway, even though there are things we don't know about each other, we do know some of the most important parts of our pasts, yeah."

Deidara watched as she nodded in agreement. He smiled, "And I know for a fact that I love you."

Her head snapped up in his direction as her eyes widened slightly. He dug into his clay pouch and took out a small box. He passed it back and forth in his hands for a moment before he got the courage to look at her again, "Shinobi don't usually live very long lives. They're a form of art. Here one moment and gone the next. So when they find something precious to them, they need to take full advantage of it, yeah."

He looked up at her and saw a small tear trail down her cheek. He opened the box to show the ring. It was a diamond set in a silver band with two small aquamarine stones on either side.

"So, I had hoped that we could make the perfect art together, yeah. Will you marry me, Shizune?"

Shizune put a hand to her mouth as the tears came harder. Deidara started to lose whatever confidence he had accumulated, until he saw her nodding her head, a small giggle escaping her mouth.

"Yes," came her voice softly. Then stronger, "Yes, I'll marry you, Deidara!" Shizune leapt the short distance between them, kissing him as she landed in his arms.

**…**

_**(Kira's POV)**_

"Ne ne, Kira-chan, did he ask yet? Did he ask yet?" came the hyperactive voice of the even more hyperactive shinobi sitting on the stool next to her.

"Naruto-san, you do realize that I can't hear them correct?" Kira said as she dipped her chopsticks back into her ramen bowl.

He nodded his head so quickly Kira wondered how he didn't get whiplash.

"Yeah, I know Kira-chan, but you can see them right? What's happening?"

She took a bite as she scanned the sky above the village. Finding them, her lips twitched upwards.

"Kira-chaaaaaan," Naruto whined, "Tell me!"

She swallowed her ramen and turned to him, "It looks like Deidara asked her."

"Finally!" Naruto shouted as he finished off his eleventh bowl, "What she say? Shizune said yes right? Kira-chan?"

Kira mentally shook her head. There had to be caffeine in that ramen in order for him to talk so fast and be so full of energy.

"It looks like she said-"

"Sakurai-san," came a voice behind them, "The Hokage requests your presence immediately."

Kira nodded in affirmation to the messenger shinobi as Naruto fell off his stool and face planted.

Kira stood up to leave to see Tsunade when Naruto scrambled to stand, "Kira-chan! Ne, Kira-chan, what'd she say?"

Kira lifted the flap of the ramen stand and inclined her head in his direction, "They are kissing right now, Naruto-san."

As she walked down the street, she counted. …_Eight, nine, ten, eleven-_

"I CALL BEST MAN, BELIEVE IT!"

She shook her head in amusement, then took to the roofs to go see what the Hokage needed.

**Show of hands, how many actually saw that coming? Anyone? You probably thought he was declaring his undying love to Kira! Sooooory…not really :P And congrats to ****_Amaya. rawrz _****for guessing Shizune! I didn't think anyone would figure it out :D**

**Anyway, I now proclaim that the first arch of this fanfic is done! Yay! So please read and review, and I'll get the next chapter up soon :D**


	21. Chapter 20: Mission

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 20: Mission**

"You wished to see me Hokage-sama?" Kira asked as she entered the office.

"Ah, yes, Kira. Have a seat please," Tsunade said, gesturing to the chair in front of her desk.

Once Kira settled into the chair, Tsunade folded her hands as she looked at the girl before her, "Kira, over the last six months, you've greatly improved your medical skills. I can honestly say that other than Sakura and myself, you are one of the best healers in the village."

Tsunade took out a scroll and opened it on her desk, "Which is why I will be sending you on this mission to Suna. The Kazekage requests aid for his hospital and medical staff. While they aren't terrible, their medical knowledge is still limited. He wants me to send one of my best medical shinobi to teach and help out in the hospital."

Tsunade looked up at Kira, "I'm unable to go, since I'm the Hokage, and Sakura is desperately needed in our own hospital. Because of this, you are the only logical choice for this mission. Do you have any questions?"

"Will I be going alone and how long will I be away?" Kira asked.

The Hokage shook her head, "No, I will be sending you with an escort, who will be with you during the duration of your stay in Suna. This mission will be a minimum of three months."

Kira nodded absently, "And who will be my escort?"

Tsunade sighed, "Now that's the question. I haven't figured it out just yet."

"How about Deidara?" Kira suggested, hoping to have someone she knew well as her companion.

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively at the thought, "No, no, definitely not. While Konoha is now fine with him, he tried, and succeeded, in killing the Kazekage. We want this mission to strengthen our bonds with Suna, not blow it up."

Kira nodded, remembering when Deidara had told her about the whole battle, "That's true. Plus he may need to stay here and help Shizune-san with the planning."

Tsunade's brow wrinkled in confusion, "What planning? I don't remember scheduling anything."

"He asked her tonight."

A mischievous grin lit the Hokage's face, "And she said yes? Oh, this will be interesting."

"Um, Hokage-sama? Before you continue, maybe Naruto-san would be a good escort."

Tsunade turned her attention back to the kunoichi before her, "And what makes you think so?"

"I heard that he and the Kazekage are good friends, plus he and I have worked together in the past," Kira pause a moment before adding, "And he's already been briefed on the details."

Tsunade froze for a second, then a look of understanding went across her face, "Naruto! Stop hiding in the damn ceiling! Get your butt down here!"

Naruto plopped down next to Kira. After straightening back up, he rubbed the back of his head and gave a nervous chuckle, "Hey baa-chan. Funny thing about that ceiling. I actually left something up there and if I didn't get it back at that exact moment-"

"Save it Uzumaki, you're starting to sound like Kakashi," Tsunade said, rubbing her temples, "Well? Did you hear the whole mission?"

"What, about Kira-chan going to Suna for a while? Yeah. I wouldn't mind going. Haven't seen Gaara in a while," Naruto said, a goofy grin spreading across his features.

"Well, I guess that settles that," Tsunade said with a sigh, "You two will be leaving tomorrow at sunrise. Dismissed!"

**…**

"Leaving! What do you mean you're leaving for a few months, yeah? Where are you going?" Deidara asked as Kira packed.

"Suna," came her monosyllable reply.

"Well why can't I go with you? I've been around you every day for a little over a year now, yeah. It'll be weird not seeing you for a few months."

Kira inclined her head in his direction, "The main reason you cannot accompany me on this mission is because there's bad blood between you and the Kazekage."

Deidara scoffed, "So, what, the guy can forgive his family and village for treating him like a monster cause of the Ichibi, but I get the cold shoulder for taking the little beasty outta him, yeah? Doesn't sound like a fair trade."

"You killed him," Kira stated bluntly.

Deidara waved a hand, "Minor detail, yeah. He's still alive isn't he? He should let it go already. It's been a few years since then, yeah."

"As it still stands, you are not going," Kira said, returning to her packing, "Naruto will be my escort. Besides, you will be needed here when Shizune starts planning the wedding."

Deidara blushed slightly, then sighed, knowing that there was no point in trying to argue.

"Fine, yeah. At least I can trust Naruto to keep you from getting hurt."

Kira rose an eyebrow at the statement and paused in her packing, inclining her head in his direction. Deidara scoffed slightly, "Oh, come on, yeah. I know you can take care of yourself. It just helps having a little extra insurance, yeah," Kira went back to her packing, not even bothering responding to the blonde bomber.

"So when are you leaving?" he asked.

"Tomorrow morning."

Deidara sighed and nodded, "Alright, let me help you pack, yeah."

**…**

At dawn, Kira was standing at the village gates, waiting for Naruto. She had already said her goodbyes to Deidara and her few other friends the night before.

"Morning Kira-chan," Naruto said as he walked up, covering a yawn.

"Good morning Naruto-san. Are you ready?"

A large smile lit his face, "You bet! I can't wait to see Gaara. It's been too long," he paused a moment as if coming to a realization, "You two will probably get along, you're both reeeally quiet."

Choosing to ignore the comment, Kira turned and started walking out of the village. Naruto jerked out of his thoughts and jogged to catch up to her.

The day passed uneventfully and night soon came. Kira and her escort made camp, ate a quick supper (which had to be ramen), then prepared for bed. Kira volunteered to take the first shift, and with little argument, Naruto fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, a small trail of saliva slowly soaking it.

Kira shook her head slightly at this and scanned the perimeter. The moment she did, she froze. Why hadn't she noticed before? How long had he been following them? Which man was he? And most importantly, would he attack?

"Hello Kira-san," the figure said quietly, not wanting to wake her companion, "It's been a long time."

"Yes it has," Kira replied monotonously, mentally relaxing at the sound of his voice, yet still prepared for an attack, "Just over a year I believe…Itachi-san."

**Oh Naruto, when will you learn that hiding in ceilings isn't very nice? O.O And Itachi is back! …at least it wasn't her dad... But what does he want? Is he taking her back to the base? After Naruto? Coincidence? Something else altogether? You'll have to wait till the next chapter to find out…cause I'm evil like that mwahahaha! ….Anyway…Review? Please? :D**


	22. Chapter 21: Death and Disbandment

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 21: Death and Disbandment**

"Hello Kira-san," the figure said quietly, not wanting to wake her companion, "It's been a long time."

"Yes it has," Kira replied monotonously, mentally relaxing at the sound of his voice, yet still prepared for an attack, "Just over a year I believe…Itachi-san. What do you want?"

"I am not here to fight," Itachi said, "I am merely here to deliver a message."

"Oh? And why are you giving this message to me?"

Itachi tilted his head slightly in thought, "I believe that the Hokage has…informed you…of my current situation after your escape from our hideout."

**...**

_**(Flashback)**_

"Shizune, take Deidara down to the interrogation chambers and have Inoichi begin the memory scan," Tsunade said, "I wish to speak with Kira for a moment. We'll be along shortly."

Shizune bowed and led Deidara out of the office. Once the doors closed, the Hokage turned to the dark-haired kunoichi.

"Alright Kira, I know that there was something about your escape that you left out. How did you two get out without anyone noticing?"

Kira sighed internally. She couldn't get anything past the older woman. "Someone did notice."

Tsunade's eyebrows shot up, "Who?"

Kira inclined her head in the Fifth's direction, "Uchiha Itachi."

Tsunade folded her hands on her desk and seemed to visibly relax, "And what, exactly, did he do when he found that you were escaping?"

Kira pursed her lips slightly to show her confusion, "He told Deidara that watching me was his duty and not to let me out of his sight. After that, he walked away."

"So the Uchiha let you both go?"

"It seems that way, Hokage-sama. But I don't understand. Why would he do that?"

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes, internally debating with herself on whether or not to disclose certain information. Coming to a decision, she opened her eyes and looked to the young kunoichi, "What I'm about to tell you is classified. The only reason I'm telling you is that I need a new liaison since the passing of Jiraiya and you already seem mildly aware of the situation," Tsunade paused, then continued after a confirming nod from Kira, "It's true that Uchiha Itachi has gone rogue. However, the reason behind him going rogue was because Konoha ordered him to."

Kira's eyes widened a fraction. She had heard about the massacre through Naruto, but she would have never guessed that that day had come to pass because of an order. Tsunade allowed the girl a few moments to process before continuing, "The Uchiha clan had been planning a coup against the Hokage and the rest of Konoha. They wanted to be in power. Itachi, at that time, was both the heir to the clan and an ANBU operative. He decided that he would be loyal to Konoha and informed the Third what the clan was planning. Itachi became a double agent and gave the Hokage any information he found. The Third wanted to try to settle things peacefully, but the council of elders thought that the Uchihas were becoming more of a problem then a benefit to the village and wanted them eliminated. Itachi was the most suited for the job."

"But then why-" Kira started.

"Image," Tsunade answered the implied question, "The council didn't want the people of Konoha to know that the higher ups could order such a bloodbath."

"And Itachi-sama agreed to this?" Kira asked, still bewildered.

Tsunade nodded gravely, "On the condition that his younger brother could live. He made the Third promise that Sasuke would be protected from the council."

Kira nodded, beginning to understand, "And him allowing Deidara-san and I to escape?"

"Probably a sign to let me know that he is still on our side."

Kira turned her head in the Fifth's direction, "Would he ever be allowed back here?"

Tsunade sighed wearily, "Unfortunately, no. While the initial crime was not his fault, the subsequent ones are. He has done many things to keep his cover solid, and on top of that, the elders were right in the need to protect the village from knowing all that goes on behind closed doors. But while he is no longer able to be a part of this village, he is still a great undercover ally."

Kira was silent after that, trying to process all the information.

"Kira," Tsunade said sternly, getting the girl's attention again, "Let me say this again. Everything I told you cannot, under any circumstances, be repeated. Outside the council and I, no one knows of this. It wasn't even written in the top secret missions files. Failure to keep this confidentiality would result in your immediate imprisonment. Am I understood."

Kira straightened, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

**…**

_**(End Of Flashback)**_

Kira nodded to the cloaked man before her, "She has."

"So you know, without me telling you, why I would bring this message to you."

Kira nodded and moved to get up. After letting her senses run over Naruto to ensure he was still asleep, she walked over to the missing-nin to hear what he had to say.

"What is your message?"

Itachi looked at the girl for a moment, seeming to size her up before continuing, "Pein is dead."

Kira's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. The leader of Akatsuki, that man with the powerful presence that demanded respect, he was dead? "How?" she asked.

Itachi waited a moment before answering, "Killed. We're not sure who did it or why, but we suspect that it was one of his newer underlings. Pein had a habit of underestimating those below him, and now it seems to have become his downfall."

Kira nodded and was about to go back to her spot in camp, thinking that the message was over, when Itachi's voice stopped her, "Akatsuki has disbanded as of a week ago."

Kira merely waited for him to elaborate, allowing the silence to drag on for a few minutes.

"With Pein gone, Konan left, taking his body with her. The only ones remaining in the organization are Zetsu, Kisame, and myself. We decided to go our separate ways."

Kira 'looked' back towards camp at her sleeping escort, a slight feeling of unease coming over her, then focused on the man in front of her, "And what of Naruto-san? Are you going to continue your attempt to capture him?"

Itachi shook his head, "It was never my intention to actually capture the jinchuuriki. If you remember the reports, every time there was an attempt by me, something interfered. Now that Pein is gone, so are his ambitions towards the hosts. Naruto is safe."

Kira internally smiled. One of her first friends was safe.

She waited a moment to make sure there was nothing else Itachi needed to say before she bowed slightly to the rogue ninja and returned to her seat. The moment she turned her back, her senses told her that he had nodded and was gone in the next instant, his speed quickly taking him out of her range of "vision."

Kira sat at the base of a tree and leaned against it sighing. When she got to Suna, she would have to dictate a top secret letter to the Hokage. She would probably have to request the Kazekage's assistance with this since he would be the only one there that she knew of with the clearance to access this information. The only problem she could find that may arise with this plan is keeping her source of this information confidential.

Kira sighed again. Sometimes, being blind could be a real inconvenience.

**Chapter 21 complete! And Gaara will finally be making his appearance in the story! :D Yaaaaaaaay! He will be in either the next chapter or the one right after.**

**And pleeeeeease read and review! Reviews make the world go round! :D**


	23. Chapter 22: Journey to Suna

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 22: Journey to Suna**

_**(Naruto's POV)**_

"Kira-chaaan," Naruto whined slightly, "Why won't you answer me?"

He had been trying to get the quiet kunoichi's attention for the last ten minutes, but it seemed like she was either ignoring him or deep in thought about something else entirely. Naruto thought over the events of the morning to see if he had done anything that could have possibly upset her.

When he had woken up in the middle of the night, it had been past the time when he should have taken over for watch. When he went to relieve Kira, she had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she had jumped when he touched her shoulder. He had thought that that was unusual for her to be so unobservant of her surroundings. What if an enemy had come into their area? Rogues or Akatsuki could have come and she would never have known until it was too late. But, like the good friend he was, he didn't mention it and just let her go to bed. After his uneventful shift, he woke her up at sunrise, ate some ramen, helped clean up camp, and they had been walking and running intermittently ever since. It was now noon and she still hadn't said a single word to him.

Naruto looked over at the petite girl. He realized again just how much she looked like Hinata. Same blue-black hair that reached mid-back, similar, pupil-less eyes, and same pale skin. The only differences appearance-wise were that Kira's irises were a shade darker and her pale skin was marred with countless, barely visible scars. _I wonder how she got all those,_ Naruto wondered.

"Naruto-san, why are you staring at me?"

Naruto jumped a bit at the sound of Kira's voice, then gave a sheepish grin, "Ano, well, you weren't talking to me or responding, so, umm… Hey, how did you get all those scars?"

Naruto immediately regretted ever letting those words escape his mouth the moment he saw Kira's face fall into its stony mask and her hands unconsciously turn to fists. "I'm sorry, Naruto-san, but I would really rather not discuss this," came her whispered response.

"Sure, sure, no problem," he said hurriedly, trying not to cause any more harm.

The two shinobi fell into an awkward silence. At least it was awkward for Naruto. He wasn't so sure if Kira felt the same. She seemed to really like the quiet.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and glanced around. He noticed that the trees were starting to thin out. A sign that they were getting closer to the desert. "Ne, Kira-chan, we should refill our bottles now. We'll hit sand in a few more miles and we won't have another chance till we get to Suna."

Kira silently nodded and veered off the path, heading for what Naruto assumed was a source of water. Sure enough, when he followed her, he saw a clear stream flowing by. He dunked his whole head in before scooping up large handfuls to drink. Refreshed, he went to stand up when his foot slipped, thanks to a slick patch of moss. Naruto flailed his arms in a vain attempt to steady himself, then ended up face planting in the cold water. Coming up red and spluttering, he looked over at Kira to gauge her reaction of his not-so-graceful, impromptu swim. She was looking in his general direction and had one delicate brow raised over her lavender eyes.

"Naruto-san," she said, her tone giving no indication as to what she was feeling.

"Yeah?"

"If you don't get out soon, you may catch a cold," she stated simply.

Naruto stared at her. That was it? No frustrated smacks upside the head, no laughter or scoffing at his predicament, no asking if he was ok? Naruto shook his head slowly as he got out of the stream, a small smile on his face. Kira was definitely different from his previous teammates. She was very aloof and practical when it came to things like this…or anything really.

Back on dry land, Naruto shrugged out of his jacket and started to wring it out. _Great, _he thought with sigh, _now I'll be soaked for the rest of the day._

Soon after he thought that, he looked down at himself and noticed that instead of dripping all over the ground, his clothes and hair were perfectly dry. He scrunched his brow in confusion and looked around again. When he saw a ball of water floating through the air and back into the stream, he remembered his companion's ability.

"Thanks Kira-chan!" Naruto said loudly, flashing a large grin.

Kira nodded, "Just because you are out of danger does not mean you should get careless with your health."

"Huh? What danger? What are you talking about?"

Kira just shook her head and started back towards the path leading to Suna. He knew that she wasn't going to say any more on the subject, so Naruto just rubbed the back of his head again and followed her. That girl was still confusing, no matter how much time he has spent around her. And what danger was she talking about? He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary on the trip. Naruto sighed again. Better to not keep thinking about it. Without more information, he would just get a headache from thinking too much.

About an hour later, they made it to the desert. Naruto had forgotten just how intense the heat here was. He wiped off a drop of sweat and shielded his eyes from the sun, trying to figure out how much farther it was to the Hidden Sand. He looked around surprised, then looked to Kira.

"Ano, Kira-chan? Suna's that way," Naruto said, pointing slightly to their right.

Kira pursed her lips, nodded, and headed in the direction he had indicated. A few minutes later, Naruto noticed her veering off course, this time to the right.

"Are you feeling ok Kira-chan? You're not getting dehydrated are you?"

Kira sighed and turned to him, "Naruto-san, I can't see."

Naruto's face turned to one of confusion, "Of course you can't see, you're blind. That's never stopped you before."

Kira sighed and put a hand to her head. "Naruto-san," she said slowly, sounding like she was trying to explain something to a child, "Do you know how I can tell where everyone one is and where different inanimate objects are?"

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, you use some kind of water jutsu or something right?"

"My kekkei genkai, yes. I am able to perceive the water in or around various objects."

Naruto nodded with a blank expression on his face, clearly not understanding where this was going.

Kira sighed again, "Where are we, Naruto-san?"

Naruto stared at her for a second, getting worried, "You're not getting amnesia are you? We're going to the Sand village."

Kira nodded, "And we're in the desert."

"Right…?"

Kira started rubbing her temples and continued her explanation in her usual monotone voice, "Naruto-san, there is no water out here except for the occasional cactus, desert animal, and us. I can't use water to know where I am, since there is no water to be found. Do you understand now?"

Understanding flashed across Naruto's face, "Oh! Ok, so you can only see water."

Kira nodded, "Figuratively speaking."

Naruto nodded his head in earnest and stated, "But you can see me." At Kia's confirming nod he smiled and hit his chest once, "Then I'll lead us to Suna! Once we get there, we'll figure out how to deal with the whole no-water thing."

With that, Naruto turned and took the lead.

**…**

_**(Kira's POV)**_

Naruto was very kind in his own way. Dense, but kind. Kira knew that he had been trying to talk with her all day, but she was trying to organize her thoughts into what she would put into her message to Konoha. She had to give enough information so that the Hokage would understand what was going on, yet be vague enough so as not to alert the Kazekage to anything he did not need to know.

When Naruto had touched her shoulder last night, she had been caught off guard. She hadn't realized that so much time had passed. Luckily Naruto didn't question her on her inattentiveness.

Later on, she noticed him staring at her. Apparently he had been speaking to her for quite some time. When she asked about it, he had asked about her scars. No matter how kind he was, and knowing he was merely being inquisitive to divert attention from the fact he had been staring, she could not bring herself to answer his question. She knew he felt bad for prying, so she let a quiet moment pass so that he could gather his thoughts.

When he had told her about filling their bottles, she led them to the nearest water source. She hadn't expected him to fall in to the calm water. She had to stop herself from smiling at his clumsiness. She did not wish to further his embarrassment. When he emerged from the wet confines of the stream, she saw him wringing his jacket out and decided to help him out. He seemed very appreciative. In response, she had almost divulged the information concerning the Akatsuki. She quickly stopped herself before she could say anything more and headed back to the path, leaving a curious and confused Naruto to follow her.

After entering the desert, Kira had realized that she had severely overlooked something. Deserts were hot. Not that she minded the heat, but the lack of moisture in the air bothered her. Here, she was truly blind. She would have thought something was wrong with her kekkei genkai, had it not been for the fact that she could still "see" Naruto. The further into the sands they traveled, the more obvious it was that she wouldn't be able to continue to lead this excursion. Once Naruto took the lead, things progressed a lot smoother. She just had to follow his water source. By the end of the scorching day filled with sand dunes, tumble weeds, and blazing heat, Kira noticed several human shaped water sources ahead. They were finally arriving at the village.

A few minutes later, the two Konoha ninjas approached the gates of Suna.

"Welcome to Suna," came an authoritative voice of a young man at the gates. Kira could only "see" the physical aspects about his body. He was about half a foot taller than her with a strong build. Obviously a shinobi with the way his muscles were toned. His arms were crossed over his chest as he looked back and forth between her and her escort. His eyes finally rested on Naruto, "I trust your journey went well. It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," Naruto said with a light laugh and a large grin, "It's been way too long Gaara."

**An early update as my present to you! Merry Christmas! Gaara finally makes his appearance, not much for this chapter, but have no fear! You'll see him again in the next one :D And poor Naruto, he has no idea how to handle being around a quiet person like Kira…you'd think he'd learn from his past interactions with people like Shino and Gaara… all well… Please read and review! Reviews can be your present to me! :D**


	24. Chapter 23: Adjustments In Sight

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 23: Adjustments In Sight**

"It's good to see you too," Naruto said with a light laugh and a large grin, "It's been way too long Gaara." Naruto was grinning immensely as he shook the hand of the Kazekage, "Though I did forget how hot the trip over here was. How in the world do you stand living in this heat?" He wiped the sweat off his brow to emphasize his point.

"I'm used to it," came his stoic reply. Gaara looked over to Kira and she bowed low with a respectful, "Kazekage-sama."

Gaara nodded his head in acknowledgement and turned back to Naruto, "I have meetings scheduled for the remainder of the day. Since it's already getting late, you can take the rest of this day to recuperate from your trip and report to me in the morning for your assignments."

He rose his hand in the air and two ANBU dropped down from their hiding places and knelt.

"These two will escort you to where you will be staying during the duration of your time in Suna. I will see you in the morning." With that, he disappeared in a swirl of what Kira assumed was sand. The ANBU rose and beckoned for the Leaf nins to follow. As they walked through the busy, winding streets of Suna, Kira made sure that she stayed directly behind Naruto the whole time so that she wouldn't bump into any inanimate objects. Even behind the city gates, the heat was so immense to where there wasn't an ounce of humidity in the air. The result being that Kira could only make out where people were and some of the foods and plants that were scattered along the pathways. She didn't want to risk stumbling into a table or tripping over something someone dropped on in street.

They eventually made it to a housing complex near the Kazekage tower that was used to house diplomats and foreign ninja as they came into the village. Upon arrival, the ANBU handed them the keys, bowed, and took their leave.

Naruto walked in and dropped his pack on the floor near the door with Kira following closely behind.

"Wow, Kira-chan, look at the table! There's so much food! Gaara even has ramen here. He's thought of everything!"

Kira sat and found most of the food with ease. It was one of the only things she could "see" in the room. Naruto had been right about the amount of food there. There was no way the two of them could eat it all. Kira picked a piece of fruit that had to have been imported and some locally made soup. Naruto, of course, ate all the ramen available, then proceeded to stuff the remaining food in the fridge.

After that was done, Naruto walked across the room and flopped onto what Kira presumed was a bed with a sigh.

"Naruto-san, what time is it?"

"About six, why?"

"Why are you going to bed then?"

"Most of Suna goes to bed once the sun goes down and wakes up at dawn," he said with a yawn, "Besides, I'm looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight."

Kira nodded in understanding then paused for a moment.

"Naruto-san, can you tell me where the bathroom is located. I would like to take a shower before I go to bed tonight."

Naruto lifted his head off the pillow and scanned the room, "There's a door just to your right. That's probably it." He plopped his head back down on his pillow.

Kira stood up from her place at the table and felt her way along the wall until she reached the door. She opened it and tried to feel along the inside of the room to find the shower when she stopped short.

"Naruto-san."

"Yeah," came the half asleep response.

"This is a closet."

Naruto lifted his head again to look and chuckled nervously, "Umm…I knew that…I was just, uh, making sure you had a towel! Yeah, that's it."

Kira sighed and grabbed one of the soft pieces of fabric, "So where is the bathroom then?"

Naruto looked around again, "There's another door on the other wall to your left about halfway down," he said with another yawn, "That has to be it."

Kira pursed her lips, frustrated with the dry air that never ceased to remind her of her limitations, and felt along the walls once more to find the room. She grabbed the handle and was please to find that the room she entered was indeed the restroom. Pausing at the door once more, she turned back around, "Naruto-san, would you please set the alarm so that we aren't late in meeting with the Kazekage tomorrow morning?" She heard him grumble a response as he shifted on the bed and grabbed something beside him. Satisfied, she closed the door behind her. She placed her towel on the counter near the sink and inched over to the tub. Once she turned the water on and it started to warm, steam slowly started to fill the small room. Kira sighed in contentment as her range of vision slowly increased as the steam filled the smaller space.

Kira stepped under the warm water and began to wash off the grime from the trip. Kira loved the feeling of being completely immersed in her element. After she was sure she cleaned herself thoroughly, she stepped out and toweled off, easily finding everything she needed with the vapor surrounding her.

"_Why couldn't Suna's environment be more like this? It would make things a lot easier to find and navigate around,"_ she thought with a sigh, changing into her clothes. Kira paused as she towel dried her hair, _"Wait a minute…"_ Kira dropped the towel onto the floor and opened the door that led to the main room. Little by little, the steam escaped from the bathroom and floated into the living area. Kira stopped it and walked forward, keeping the condensation around her in a very fine mist. She took another step and her lips twitched upward. As long as she concentrated enough to keep the mist around her, she would be able to "see". Kira practiced a moment and decided that a five foot radius would be more than enough space to warn her if anything was amiss. Though, she would have to test that theory.

"Naruto-sa-" Kira paused as she finally noticed her companion. He was sound asleep. Sighing slightly, Kira walked to the kitchen and found a small pitcher. Taking that, she went over to her bed on the opposite side of the room and set it on her nightstand. After situating herself comfortly on the bed, Kira moved all the vapor around her into the container. She would just have to wait until morning to test her idea.

**I know that this is a very short chapter. Writer's block is killing me! I know what I want to write, but getting from point A to point B is the problem…Please bear with me! I'll try harder to get the next chapter out more quickly :D Anyway, I dedicate this chapter to __****Akari. Wolf**. Princess (Thank you for the questions!) and _Dei-is-mine_ (very entertaining reviews ^_^).

**Next chapter will contain flying clocks and, finally, the meeting with Gaara! Read and review! :D**


	25. Chapter 24: Testing

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 24: Testing**

Kira awoke to darkness. Something she wasn't completely used to yet. Since the age of three, her ability had ensured her that she had her own form of "sight" the moment she reentered consciousness. Suddenly having that security taken away from her was a bit disorientating.

Kira sat up quickly and directed the water in the pitcher around her, spreading the liquid in the air until it became a very fine mist, nothing more than a bit of humidity in the air. Kira got up and went over to the fridge to get some breakfast. It seemed like she had awoken before the alarm. Either that, or Naruto really hadn't listened to her last night and forgot to set it.

She took a bite of her apple just as high pitched beeping filled the air. Almost instantaneously, she "watched" as Naruto's form started batting at the air next to his bed. He overreached and tumbled from the bed, bringing his blankets down with him in a tangled heap. After a quick "Oomph!", his head emerged from the heap on the floor. Eyes half closed, he yawned widely as he blearily looked around for the source of the noise. Reaching behind him over his head, he smacked his hand down onto the clock, effectively ending its shrill sound. Naruto rubbed the back of his head and proceeded to disentangle himself from his self-made cocoon. Once free, he sluggishly made his way to the kitchen cabinets. He dug out and made some instant ramen while still half asleep, Kira quietly observing him and trying to not smile at his comical morning routine.

He sat down with a steaming cup of noodles and said a lethargic, "Itadakimasu." Halfway through his meal, Naruto seemed to become aware of his surroundings. He stopped eating for a moment, noodles hanging from his mouth, when he caught sight of Kira sitting across from him at the table. Slurping up the bite, he gave her a half smile, "Ohayo Kira-chan. Did I wake you up?"

Kira raised an eyebrow, "I was already awake Naruto-san."

"Oh," Naruto said as he took another bite, "Well, have you thought of anything to help with your…you know…your problem?"

"You mean my lack of sight?" Kira asked bluntly. Naruto slowly nodded his head.

"I believe I found something that may work," Kira said, standing from her seat to stand in the middle of the room, "Though I'm not quite sure how effective it would be if I were to be forced into a fight."

Naruto downed the last of the broth and gave a toothy grin, "So let's test it out!"

"That's what I wanted to do as well, but how?"

Naruto scrunched his brow in concentration as he scanned the room for something. After a moment, he seemed to find what he was looking for as his face lit up. He got up and walked over to his side of the room and picked something up. After turning it around in his hands a few times, he looked up at Kira and chucked it as hard as he could at her. The moment the object came into her five foot range of her mist, she promptly froze it. The object cluttered to the floor in an icy heap as Kira noticed just what it was that Naruto had thrown.

"Naruto-san…why did you throw the alarm clock at my head?"

"You said you needed to test out your new sight adjustment thingy, so I needed to throw something at you."

"Yes, but why the clock?"

Naruto shrugged and a scheming grin appeared across his features, "It was evil and deserved to die."

Kira deadpanned, "And how, exactly, is a clock evil?"

Naruto placed his hands behind his head and casually walked to the door, "Because, it ruined my very nice dream and made me fall out of bed."

Kira shook her head in amusement at his logic as he turned the handle on the door, "Come on Kira-chan! Wouldn't want to keep Gaara waiting!"

Kira felt her lips twitch upwards as she followed the hyperactive ninja out the door, making sure to keep her bubble of humidity securely around her.

**…**

"Hey Gaara!" Naruto said as he burst through the doors to the Kazekage's office.

"Naruto-san, you should knock first," Kira stated, following after him.

"Nah!" Naruto waved a hand in her direction, "Gaara and I are friends, it's cool."

"Naruto, Sakurai-san, you're right on time," came the soft-yet-deep voice of the young Kazekage. Kira bowed and Naruto just looked at him with a wide grin and his hands behind his head.

"Who's the chick?" came another voice near the desk. Kira rose from her bow and turned to "look" at the two other people in the room. One was a male and one was female. Soon after the question was asked, the female knocked the male upside the head, "Baka, weren't you listening to Gaara? She's the one from Konoha that'll be staying in Suna for a while."

"No way!" he said, holding the back of his head with a slight wince, "I thought it was supposed to be a guy!"

A vein popped out from the girl's forehead in frustration, "And what is wrong with it being a girl, Kankuro?"

Kankuro looked back at the girl with wide eyes and waved his hands in front of him quickly in surrender, "Nothing, nothing at all Temari! I just thought that it was going to be a guy that's all. There's no ulterior meaning, I swear!"

Gaara cleared his throat to stop the impending fight and bring their attention back to the meeting. He then looked to the two Leaf nin in his office and bowed his head slightly, "Forgive my siblings, they seem to be a bit restless."

Naruto waved him off, "Eh, not like we don't have that sort of thing happen in Konoha. Kinda reminds me of how Sakura-chan and I act."

Kira silently nodded in agreement. She did notice Sakura hitting Naruto on numerous occasions.

Gaara nodded and looked to Kira, "Just to confirm, you are Sakurai Kira of the Leaf village, inducted three years ago as a shinobi, specialties: water and healing jutsu, rank: ANBU-"

"Wait a second, this tiny thing is ANBU ranked?" Kankuro said as he dodged his sister's oncoming smack, "There's no way she could be that strong!"

Naruto glanced over at Kankuro with his hands still behind his head, "She went from genin to ANBU in just three years. I wouldn't underestimate her if I were you."

Kankuro grinned, "How about a test then?" he said as he pulled a scroll off his back.

Kira inclined her head towards Gaara, "Only if the Kazekage approves."

The red-head nodded his consent, also curious about her abilities. There was something of interest in the files that Tsunade had sent over, and he wanted to see how accurate they were and how she dealt with various situations.

Kira walked over to his desk and picked up the jug of water that had been placed there, "Would it be alright for me to use this, Kazekage-sama?" she asked with a slight bow.

He nodded, "You may."

Kira turned back to face Kankuro, who had released one of his puppets. Naruto went to stand a bit further back. Kira focused on the mist around her, waiting for the presence of a foreign object to enter her "vision". She didn't have to wait long. She noticed the twitch of a few of Kankuro's fingers and simultaneously had the water from the jug leave the container and fly to a spot to her left as a wooden hand entered her range. The wooden appendage froze on contact with the liquid as it rushed up the arm and over the whole construct. Only a second after it had come within the five foot range, it fell to the floor covered in ice and completely useless.

Kankuro's jaw dropped in disbelief and Gaara raised a brow, intrigued. Temari laughed at her younger brother as he went to go retrieve his puppet. The older girl looked over to Kira with a smirk, "Mind if I have a go? This could be fun."

Kira shrugged. She didn't really mind. If they doubted her abilities, this would be the fastest way to assure them that she could do her job.

Temari moved to grab something out of her weapons pouch when she stopped. Her muscles clenched in a slightly familiar way. It was almost as if that Nara kid had used his shadow jutsu on her to stop her movements. But he wasn't there, and her shadow wasn't being possessed.

"What the hell? Why can't I move?" she yelled in frustration.

"You lose," came Kira's quiet voice. Temari's eyes widened as realization dawned.

"How'd you do that?" she asked as she regained the use of her limbs.

"One of my abilities," Kira stated simply.

"And that's not all she can do!" Naruto exclaimed.

The siblings all turned to look at the energetic blonde.

"What do you mean?" Kankuro asked, still chipping off chunks of ice from his puppet.

"Gaara, go stand next to Kira-chan," Naruto said as he went to drag the Sand leader out of his chair. Naruto turned back to the two older siblings, "She and Gaara are a lot alike."

Both Kira and the Kazekage rose a brow at the statement.

"See! Even their expressions are the same!" he said.

Upon hearing this, the two shinobi in question returned their faces back to a blank expression and crossed their arms. Naruto and Kankuro laughed while Temari tried to hold back a snicker. They actions and expressions looked identical.

"Ok, ok," Naruto said while wiping a tear and trying to catch his breath, "That was awesome, but not what I was talking about. Turn around you two."

"Why?" They both asked at the same time, earning another snicker from the group.

"Come on, it wouldn't kill you two to play along," Naruto said, a mischievous smile crossing his face.

Reluctantly, the two shinobi turned around so that their backs were facing the other three. Kira sighed. It wasn't like this really affected her level of sight anyway. She "watched" as Naruto went over to the Kazekage's desk and picked up two objects. She was too far away, so her mist couldn't tell her what was in his hands. However, given what had happened that morning, Kira had a pretty good idea what was going to happen next.

Sure enough, Naruto reeled back both his arms and flung something at them. At once, the mist surrounding her centered on the object coming towards her and stopped it mid-air. Next to her, Gaara's sand seemed to have blocked the one coming at him. The two of them turned around and sent a questioning look to the blonde.

"See! Told you so!" He exclaimed to the two older sand siblings, both of which had their mouths open in astonishment.

"Naruto, what was the purpose of throwing my paperweights at us?" Gaara asked calmly.

Naruto shrugged, "Just pointing out that you two are almost the same with those shield thingies. Except Kira-chan has water and you have sand."

Kira shook her head, "There are more differences then that Naruto-san. The Kazekage's shield reacts automatically to any danger that comes near it, regardless of the will of its master. Mine, on the other hand, only reacts to my will. I cannot have it react before the danger enters my range."

Naruto nodded sagely and Kira knew she'd have to re-explain it all later. He only looked like that when he was completely confused but wanted to look smart.

"What do you mean range?" Kankuro asked.

Kira inclined her head in his direction, "I am blind. The water allows me a form of sight. And as you are well aware of, there is not much humidity to be found here. I've had to create a sphere of water around me in order to "see" more than just people, animals, and food."

"Whoa, wait a second! You're blind? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Yes, Kankuro-san, I'm blind. The Kazekage should have been informed of this already."

Gaara looked over to her and studied her features for a moment, "I was. I just didn't feel the need to inform them on this matter."

Kira nodded. Temari looked the girl over with a new respect. It was one thing to be able to beat two opponents in less than a minute, but to do it while having a handicap like that took real skill.

"Now if you are done, Naruto," Gaara said as he sat back down at his desk, "Let's get back to the matter at hand. The reason I have asked you to come to Suna."

**Itadakimasu- Thanks for the food**

**Ohayo- Good morning**

**Baka- Idiot**

**I dedicate this chapter to**_** Haruko Takahashi**_**, **_**Anonymous-C, Itachi-Uchiha-lover, **_**and **_**HalfwayParanoid**_**! :D Your reviews and support continue to give me inspiration! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please read and review to let me know! :) **


	26. Chapter 25: Dictation and Temari

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

**Chapter 25: Dictation and Temari**

"Sakurai-san, your mission here will be to help in the hospital," Gaara said, looking over some documents, "We are currently understaffed and the doctors we do have aren't up to date on any current medical knowledge. You will be teaching them and the new recruits anything you think would be of importance. You will assist in surgeries and basic procedures when needed."

He looked up over the papers to the young woman standing before him, "Any questions?"

"Who will I be reporting to at the hospital, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara looked back over the documents in hand, "Mira-san is the current head of the hospital. You will report to her if you have any questions. If you find anything unusual or if there is unsatisfactory work ethic among the staff, you will report your findings directly to me."

Kira bowed, "Yes, Kazekage-sama."

"Your lodgings will continue to be in the apartment that you stayed in last night. Naruto," the red head looked over to the surprisingly quiet ninja, "how long do you plan on staying in Suna?"

"Tsunade-baa-chan wanted me to get back as soon as Kira-chan settled in, so probably a few more days," he said with a shrug.

"Very well," he turned back to Kira, "If there is nothing else you wish to discuss, you will report to the hospital to get acquainted with the staff and facilities at noon today."

"Actually, Kazekage-sama, there is something I need to speak with you about in private," Kira said.

Gaara nodded, "Kankuro, you will escort Naruto back to the apartment. Temari, wait outside until we're through, then make sure Sakurai-san is able to get to the hospital."

The siblings shrugged and started out the door. Naruto gave Kira a curious look, wondering what it was that she had to talk to his friend about that couldn't be said in front of him. Kankuro grabbed the blonde by his jacket collar and dragged him out, bribing him with a stop by a local ramen stand.

After the doors were shut, Gaara turned to the kunoichi, "What is it you wished to talk to me about?"

"I need help in sending a letter to the Hokage. With my condition, I'm unable to write," she stated plainly, gesturing to her eyes.

Gaara's face showed slight confusion, "Why not ask Naruto? He may not have the neatest handwriting, but I'm sure he could help send a letter."

"I have highly classified information for the Hokage, and I'm not sure if Naruto would have the clearance to know about it just yet. You, on the other hand, are an allied village's Kage and would eventually have access to this information anyway."

The young leader nodded and pulled out an unused scroll and some ink. He dipped a brush in the well and looked to the girl.

Kira proceeded to tell him of her confrontation with Itachi and all the information he provided her, though she excluded his name. He was just called a source.

After the dictation was over, Gaara looked up at her with an unreadable expression, "How did you get this information?"

"I told you Kazekage-sama, from an anonymous source."

"How do you know that this source of yours can be trusted? It would be ideal for the Akatsuki to have the five great nations lower their guard against them. How can we be sure that the leader was killed and the rest disbanded? It would be foolish to take this at face value."

Kira knew that this part would be difficult. What person would be able to hear all of that and not ask questions? However, his tone indicated that he found, not only the information faulty, but her skills in judging said information to be true or false as well.

"With all due respect Kazekage-sama, this source is trusted by not just me, but by Tsunade-sama and the late Sanin Jiraiya-sama. I believe that makes this source credible. Unless, of course, you are doubting their judgment as well as my own."

Gaara sat back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. He studied her for a while, taking in her monotone voice and expression. Normally when speaking, a person gave away the emotion they were feeling while expressing their opinions. This girl, however, showed no conviction or defensiveness in the inflection of her voice. If he had not been able to understand her, he would have thought that she was simply stating an everyday fact because of her tone, rather than of her accusing him of judging her abilities. What a strange kunoichi.

"Very well," he said after a moment, "I will send this letter to the Hokage immediately. You may leave. Temari should be waiting for you outside to show you around the village and escort you to the hospital."

Kira bowed and exited the office. She had a weird feeling as she left. Usually, when she was around men she didn't know, she avoided them. But with the Kazekage, she actually argued her point. She didn't know if it was because he was Naruto's friend and she had heard a lot about him, or because Naruto kept insisting that they were alike, but something was definitely different about him. What a strange man.

**…**

As Kira walked out of the Kazekage's office, she easily found the kunoichi from earlier. Temari was leaned up against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed. Her head came up when she heard the door to her brother's office open and close.

"Ready to go?" she asked in an off-handed manner.

At Kira's nod, Temari shrugged off the wall and started walking down the hallway, motioning for the dark haired girl to follow her. As the two walked past the front desk, the secretary looked up from her work and politely bowed her head to Temari. When her eyes shifted to Kira, the polite mask dropped for an instant to reveal an intense glare, only to slip back into its happy façade a moment later. Kira simply ignored her and trailed after Temari into the hot afternoon sun outside the building. She was use to receiving unfriendly gestures more than polite ones anyway.

"So where do you want to go? You still have some time before you need to report to the hospital," Temari asked, stretching her arms.

Kira shrugged, "Wherever you wish to go is fine with me."

Temari glanced at her, "You hungry?"

Before Kira could respond, her stomach decided to make itself known. The blonde smiled at her as Kira simply closed her mouth again.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Anything in particular you want?" Temari asked, chuckling.

"As long as it isn't ramen, I'll be fine with it."

Temari smirked, "Been around that Uzumaki kid a lot I take it?"

Kira nodded as she followed the sand kunoichi into a café type of setting, "He was one of the first from Konoha to accept me as a friend and comrade."

Temari called over a waitress and ordered some tea and onigiri, then turned back to Kira, "That seems to be one of his specialties. He's very accepting of others, especially when no one else is."

"Personal experience?" Kira asked, slightly curious as to how this sand ninja knew so much about one of her first friends.

"Indirect personal experience," she replied.

The waitress returned with their tea as Kira looked at Temari with a blank expression, confused as to what she meant.

"My brother," Temari said as she took a sip of tea, "Gaara wasn't always as calm as he is now. He used to be violent and short tempered. You have no idea how many times he threatened to kill Kankuro and I and mean it. Everyone in the village was terrified of him."

She took another sip and closed her eyes as she remembered the past. Kira waited patiently for her to continue. She had no trouble imagining the seemingly calm man from before as a threatening presence. In her usual experience, it was the calm moments when you needed to be the most wary.

Temari took another sip, "Then Naruto came along and changed him. Gaara never told me what that blonde idiot said, but because of it, he started to value human life and the bond between comrades."

She paused again as their food was placed before them. Kira took a bite as she pondered over the new information.

Swallowing, she asked, "I heard part of his background. He was a jinchuuriki right?"

Temari nodded, "He had the one-tails. The Akatsuki came for him a few years ago and-"

"I know what happened," Kira cut in.

Temari raised an eyebrow at her, "The knucklehead tell you about it?" she asked, referring to Naruto.

"Partly," Kira replied, finishing up her food. Temari gestured for her to continue.

"I had a first hand recount as to what happened. I assume you have heard about Deidara leaving the Akatsuki and joining Konoha, correct?"

Temari's face darkened at the mention of his name, "Yeah," she hissed out, "I heard that the bastard switched sides."

Kira's face flashed a look of anger before it quickly settled back into its emotionless state, unseen by the sand kunoichi who continued on.

"So you've met the pyro freak? What all did he have to say?" she asked in mock curiosity, moving to drink the last of her tea.

Her hand froze with the cup halfway to her lips. Her eyes darted to Kira in shock as she quickly realized that she was being controlled.

As the blind girl spoke, no emotion or inflection seeped into her tone, "Yes, I've met him. I was captured by him and taken to the Akatsuki base where he was made in charge of guarding me. We talked and after a while, he decided to help me escape. He knows everything about me, things that no one in Konoha, save for the Hokage, knows. He knows my past and I know his. I brought him to the Leaf. Before he came, I had comrades, but wasn't completely trusting of them. I was unable to think of them as my friends. He's helped me in more ways than one."

At that point, Kira released Temari from her jutsu. Temari calmly set her cup down and looked at the still-emotionless girl in front of her.

"You said your brother has changed, correct?" Kira asked.

Temari nodded slowly. Kira put some coins on the table and stood up, her back now facing the slightly speechless kunoichi, "Don't assume that he's the only one with a bad past or that he's the only one that can turn their life around."

Kira started walking to the door.

"Thank you for the lunch," she said calmly as she opened the door and walked out of the building.

Temari sat at the table for a few seconds, stunned. Then a slow smirk began to form on her features. Having this girl around could prove to be very intriguing, that's for sure. She quickly got up, dumping some money down for her portion and left to catch up to the blind girl that was becoming more interesting as time went on.

**I know, I'm a terrible writer that hasn't updated in forever! I sincerely apologize! School, work, tutoring, and everyday life have been crazy….along with the ever-present writer's block… -.-" Unfortunately, the longer spans of time between chapters is probably going to be the norm…but chapters WILL keep coming! …Anyway, I hope that this chapter acts as a momentary peace offering to my wonderful readers! Please read and review!**


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